While Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them's opening weekend box office haul failed to match the totals of any Harry Potter release, its gross of $74.4 million was still what was originally projected. But one aspect of those that went to see the blockbuster that's surprised box office experts is just how old the Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them audience has been.
According to statistics assembled by Variety, the bulk of Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them's viewers were adults. Sixty five percent of ticket buyers were over the age of 25, while 35% of consumers over the weekend were under 25-year-olds, and just 18% was under the age of 18.
All of this suggests that the same audience that went to see the very first Harry Potter film, the 2001 release The Sorcerer's Stone, and followed the franchise fervently over the course of its increasingly popular seven sequels up to 2011's The Deathly Hallows -- Part 2, were enchanted by the Newt Scamander spin-off. Variety also found out, courtesy of a survey from comScore, that 51% of Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them's viewers insisted that they'd come to see the film because of its link to the Harry Potter universe.
Over the last few weeks, as publicity for Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them has become more and more fervent, the links between the film and Harry Potter universe slowly started to be revealed. Not only did we learn that Johnny Depp would star as the famed Harry Potter villain Gellert Grindelwald, but it was then revealed that over the course of its four sequels, the Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them franchise would feature a young incarnation of Albus Dumbledore, too.
However, while older audiences have been quick to flock to see Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, Warner Bros believe that younger viewers will soon become more and more prevalent. Especially since the Thanksgiving holidays just began today, while children across the USA will be off from tomorrow and across the weekend, too.
If Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them's number of child viewers doesn't increase, there have already been some predictions that younger characters will be introduced in the follow-up to try and increase the appeal of the franchise to children. Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them is in cinemas now, and those of you that haven't seen it and are still on the fence about whether you will, should check out the trailer below, because that should convince you.
Keep posted to CinemaBlend over the new few weeks for further news regarding Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them's box office returns, because it could shape how the franchise proceeds over its next installments.
