“Fantastic Beasts” spins magic, “Billy Lynn’s” tanks

Opening this weekend is the new Brad Pitt motion picture, an espionage thriller called “Allied”. Of the expected moviegoers, only the Potterverse fans showed up this weekend.

“Fantastic Beasts”, which opened in 4,144 theaters in the US, used the Potter brand and good reviews to propel itself to the top of the weekend box office.

Jeff Goldstein, the “Harry Potter” films’ president of domestic distribution, said that while the first weekend showing saw mostly adults, he’s expecting a younger audience by Thanksgiving, when classes are done. Leading into the weekend, it was hard to forecast the outcome. It is more future-focused, with certain characters’ plotlines and conflicts setting up sequels rather than establishing the present film.

Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling can still cast a magic spell at the box office – although not as big a one sans the Boy Who Lived.

On the other hand, the site also mentioned that Marvel Studios’ “Doctor Strange” by Benedict Cumberbatch has marked its number two spot on the list for earning $17.7 million on its third weekend. The animated flick featuring the voices of Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick earns approximately $17.5 million, while the Amy Adams-led sci-fi-thriller is estimated to bag $11.8 million. “Trolls” has gained 116 million dollars in America and Canada, its worldwide revenue went to USD261 million, far more over its USD125 million budget.

The film, set 70 years before Potter’s birth, stars Oscar victor Eddie Redmayne as a “magizoologist” seeking monsters in 1920s New York City. However, this weekend’s unfriendly drop is causing those predictions to be reversed. Hacksaw Ridge – $9.2 million 7.

New teen comedy The Edge of Seventeen garnered strong critical acclaim (95% on Rotten Tomatoes) and audiences liked it (A-minus on CinemaScore), but the movie made a lackluster debut with $4.8 million.

Heyman also got into some spoiler territory in the interview, so consider this your SPOILER WARNING before reading the next quote about how the focus will shift in coming movies.