10 Best Movies Like Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore
The release of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore has revitalized interest in the fantasy film genre. The story of Albus Dumbledore assembling a team with Newt Scamander to stop Grindelwald has themes that can be found in other works. Fans have enjoyed elements like the magical creatures, friendship dynamics, and the heist-based style, among other factors.
Fortunately, there are more than several options for fans after finishing their viewing of Fantastic Beasts 3. These all carry similar aspects that made the third entry in the Wizarding World prequel so entertaining. Whether it’s an epic like Lord of the Rings or another Harry Potter entry, it’s worth checking out the films that bring the same kind of entertainment value.
Largely credited as among the best films with a magical story, the third installment in the Chronicles of Narnia franchise has mature themes attached as well. Much like Fantastic Beasts 3, the heroes here have to save the magical world by stopping at various places in Narnia.
The film expands on the realm’s lore, showcasing outreaching locations that the protagonists travel to using the Dawn Treader ship. The heroes have to come to terms with their temptation for power or grandeur, which is along the lines of how Albus Dumbledore had to admit to his once lofty plans with Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts 3.
Although there are a few changes, The Hobbit movies stay largely faithful to the books, with the first one seen as the most light-hearted adventure. Here, Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) is tasked with accompanying thirteen dwarves on a journey to win back the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug.
Fantastic Beasts 3 has the Qilin at the heart of the story and fans will find the presence of magical creatures in An Unexpected Journey comparable. Moreover, the dynamic between the protagonist group is akin to Albus Dumbledore’s team, with quite a bit of comedy and drama in this epic fantasy feature.
There’s been a surge of interest in martial arts movies after the success of Shang-Chi, but there are certain others that blend in a fantasy element as well. The Forbidden Kingdom is about teenager Jason (Michael Angarano), who’s transported to Ancient China and teams up with Lu Yan (Jackie Chan) and the Silent Monk (Jet Li) to free the land.
The Forbidden Kingdom has a set of characters with different personalities to go with the heist theme of things - it’s like a wuxia variant of Fantastic Beasts 3. There’s also a magical element, as the characters develop powers in addition to their martial arts abilities.
Fantastic Beasts 3 revolves around the conflict between powerful wizards Grindelwald and Dumbledore, which is the basis of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice as well. Here, Balthazar (Nicolas Cage) battles his nemesis Maxim (Alfred Molina) and recruits a young sorcerer Dave (Jay Baruchel) as his successor.
The relationship between Balthazar and Dave is like the one Dumbledore and Newt have in Fantastic Beasts 3. In addition to that, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice features superb sequences where the characters use their magical powers for battle. It has a theme of friendship and a coming-of-age style that Fantastic Beasts 3 fans will relate to.
Even with the massive success of the film, there are still some underrated aspects to The Lord of the Rings, such as the friendship aspect of things. The movie mainly revolves around gathering the fellowship for them to destroy the One Ring at Mount Doom, but the connections between the group are remarkable on their own.
Fantastic Beasts 3 stresses the relationship between the members of Dumbledore’s team, so fans will really take to how close-knit the fellowship is here. Gandalf is also similar to Dumbledore through his wisdom and fatherly nature toward the characters, and The Fellowship of the Ring’s epic backdrop is impressive enough for viewers to be sucked into this world.
Where Fantastic Beasts 3 has Dumbledore’s team stopping dark wizard Grindelwald, Thor: Ragnarok has the Revengers defying Asgardian Queen Hela (Cate Blanchett). It also has a fast-paced style like Fantastic Beasts 3 which sees Prince Thor (Chris Hemsworth) escape the gladiatorial planet Sakaar on his way to fight his evil sister.
Fantastic Beasts 3 has Grindelwald planning to take over the magical world, while Thor: Ragnarok has Hela with the same intentions toward the universe as a whole. Its fantastic visuals, fight scenes, soundtrack, and hard-hitting nature should ensure that viewers stay on for the entire ride.
Although it didn’t quite take off with its franchise-based intentions, The Golden Compass still has a worthy story to follow. Here, young Lyra (Dakota Blue Richards) is whisked away to the far North to rescue kidnapped children in what is a fantastical and retro-futuristic universe.
There are dazzling effects to check out in The Golden Compass and Fantastic Beasts 3 fans will enjoy the various creatures onscreen here. The movie also has a similar theme of rising up against the villains, which combines the whimsical nature of young-adult stories with a mature story of good versus evil.
Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland is much darker than the children’s fairytale most are used to, although there’s enough slapstick comedy to keep it light-hearted. Fantastic Beasts 3 viewers will like the many creatures on show here, ranging from magical cats to caterpillars, among others.
Alice (Mia Wasikowska) also assembles a team of characters to aid her in the mission to restore the White Queen (Anne Hathaway) back to her throne, mainly by partnering with the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp). Like Fantastic Beasts 3, the movie has serious elements to an otherwise magical story that viewers of all ages can enjoy.
Something like the Greek mythology equivalent to Fantastic Beasts 3, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters also has the protagonists navigating the world for a specific mission. In this story, Percy (Logan Lerman) and his friends have to head to the Sea of Monsters to retrieve the Golden Fleece to protect their home.
The movie steers more toward the comedy side of the fantasy genre, with a set of quirky characters all accompanying the hero on his journey. Its similarities with Fantastic Beasts 3 lie with the presence of unique creatures the protagonists come across and the overall heist format that has them evade the villain to foil their plans.
Set in the future of Fantastic Beasts, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix might be the fifth entry but has a comparable story of the heroes teaming up against the villains. Here, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) starts the Dumbledore’s Army faction to defy the Ministry of Magic as they begin a smear campaign against him, all the while Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) plans to steal the prophecy.
Order of the Phoenix’s backdrop of the characters stepping out of their comfort zones to stand for what’s right is like Fantastic Beasts 3, which also features another group of Dumbledore’s. The biggest connection between the two movies is the Room of Requirement, which Harry’s friends use as their base of operations.