Roughly two years ago, Warner Bros.' Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them took in over $74.4 million at the domestic box office in its debut weekend. That film would go on to make almost $815 million worldwide when it was all said and done, assuring a sequel to the Harry Potter prequel franchise-starter would be on the way. For what it's worth, Fantastic Beasts was also the lowest domestic box office debut for movies in the Wizarding World of J.K. Rowling, so we'll see if the new film, the tenth in the series, can top it.
As current box office predictions have it, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald should be within striking distance of the first film's total tally for the weekend, though just barely. Variety reports that anywhere from $65 million to $75 million in ticket sales could pan out for David Yates' sequel when it opens November 16th. There shouldn't be much in the way of competition, however, with Fox's crime-thriller Widows (which could be a sleeper hit) and Paramount's Mark Wahlberg comedy Instant Family also debuting. Holiday hangers-on from the weekend before include Dr. Seuss' The Grinch and the not-so-family-friendly flicks The Girl in the Spider's Web and Overlord, so it's Newt Scamander's weekend to win; by how much remains to be seen.
If you're unfamiliar with the plot, here's the synopsis of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, followed by details on how you can check it out in ScreenX for the first time ever:
Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” is the second of five all new adventures in the Wizarding World™ created by J.K. Rowling.
At the end of the first film, the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) was captured by MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America), with the help of Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne). But, making good on his threat, Grindelwald escaped custody and has set about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings.
The film features an ensemble cast led by Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, with Jude Law and Johnny Depp. The cast also includes, Zoë Kravitz, Callum Turner, Claudia Kim, William Nadylam, Kevin Guthrie, Carmen Ejogo, and Poppy Corby-Tuech.
“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” is directed by David Yates, from a screenplay by J.K. Rowling. The film is produced by David Heyman, J.K. Rowling, Steve Kloves and Lionel Wigram.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Heyday Films Production, a David Yates film, “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” to be distributed worldwide in 2D, 3D, 4D, Dolby Cinema and ScreenX in select theatres and IMAX by Warner Bros. Pictures.
CJ 4DPLEX, the world’s leading cinema technology company, announced today that one of the year’s most anticipated films, Warner Bros. Pictures’ Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, will be released in ScreenX, bringing the Wizarding World to the big screen for the first time ever in the immersive, one-of-a-kind format. The all-new adventure comes to ScreenX theaters worldwide beginning November 16th.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is the third film in a multi-picture agreement between Warner Bros. Pictures and CJ 4DPLEX, following the globally successful ScreenX engagements of the blockbusters The Meg and The Nun. The ScreenX slate continues in December with the much-anticipated undersea epic Aquaman, followed by the first solo feature of fan-favorite Shazam! in April 2019.
ScreenX is the world’s first multi-projection theatre technology that allows a 270-degree panoramic movie watching experience. ScreenX allows the audience to go beyond the frame of the traditional movie screen, utilizing a proprietary system to expand the center screen image to the side walls, surrounding audiences with imagery and providing a sense of being inside the movie.
“We are thrilled to bring the ScreenX experience to ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald’ through our partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures,” stated CJ 4DPLEX. “We are certain the expansive, 270-degree screen will immerse audiences in the Wizarding World as never before and deliver all the magic, mystery and adventure this much-anticipated epic has to offer.”
Thomas Molter, EVP of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures, added, “We’re excited to continue our relationship with CJ 4DPLEX on this new ‘Fantastic Beasts’ adventure. The Wizarding World has always been a thrilling destination for fans, but this will be their first opportunity to experience this magical universe with the full immersion of ScreenX.”
ScreenX has quickly enhanced its international reach, successfully screening Hollywood blockbusters and local feature films alike, including a record of five Hollywood blockbusters released in ScreenX this year. In the past 12 months alone, ScreenX has seen a surge in the number of ScreenX installed auditoriums, which have grown to 164, a more than 30% increase year-over-year and will nearly double its footprint with the recently announced expansion plan with the Cineworld Group to open 100 locations across the U.S. and Europe.
