Before we get to today's news about the latest "Fantastic Beasts" movie, "The Secrets of Dumbledore," let's recap all the scandals this franchise has endured in recent years:
- Johnny Depp, who played the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald in the first and second "Fantastic Beasts" films, comes under fire for abuse allegations and is replaced in the third film by Mads Mikkelsen.
- In a bizarre turn of events, author J.K. Rowling outs herself as a committed bigot pushing to roll back the rights of trans people, earning condemnation from all quarters. (Vladimir Putin agrees with her, though.)
- Ezra Miller, who plays Credence Barebone, is arrested for disorderly conduct, and that's not the only instance of bad behavior on his part. Apparently, it's gotten to the point where Warner Bros. may "hit pause" on his projects at the studio.
- Worst of all, the movies themselves are just sorta blah. Like, they're not terrible, but they certainly haven't captured the world's imagination like "Harry Potter" did back in the day. There was a significant drop in profits between the first and second films.
