The sequel – starring the likes of Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Jude Law and Johnny Depp – beat all competition over the three-day period. It took $62 million in the US, which may have been more than enough to secure it the No1 spot, but it does represent a big downturn for the franchise as a whole. For comparison, the first Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them took $74.4 million in its first weekend.
The weakest-opening Harry Potter story was Order of the Phoenix, released in 2007, which took $77.1 million in the US.
At the other end of the spectrum, the series finale – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 – managed $169.19 million in its first frame.
There is better news for Crimes of Grindelwald, though: in 43 international territories, its opening bettered its predecessor.
And in fact, if you look at all non-US markets, it made $191 million – which is a 2% improvement.
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The tepid critics’ response to the film could be to blame for its slightly dampened numbers Stateside.
On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a lowly 40% score, with some reviewers taking issue with what they said was an over-stuffed plot.
“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald has glimmers of the magic familiar to Harry Potter fans, but the story’s spell isn’t as strong as earlier instalments,” the consensus reads.
On CinemaScore, which polls audience members who have seen the film, it has a B+ grade on an A+ to F scale.