'Fantastic Beasts 3' UK production halts after crew member tests COVID positive

Fantastic Beasts 3 is an upcoming fantasy film in the Wizarding World franchise. Shooting of the project has been pushed for several reasons in the past. In a recent development, the makers of the fantasy film had to stall filming after a crew member tested positive for Coronavirus. 

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Fantastic Beasts 3 shuts production in the UK after positive COVID-19 test

Deadline has reported that the filming of Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts 3 has been put on hold after a team member tested positive for coronavirus. Warner Bros. Pictures informed about the incident. The diagnosis was confirmed after mandatory testing guidelines ofr all crew members was issued. He is currently in isolation. 

The makers have not revealed who the team member is and whether he/she is among the Fantastic Beasts 3 cast. A similar situation took place with another Warner Bros’. project, The Batman, when Robert Pattinson was reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 and the shooting was stopped. The company has set up extensive safety protocol on both big-budgeted films.

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Fantastic Beasts 3 commenced production on November 4, 2019. It was slated to continue in Spring 2020 with the shooting location being Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. However, due to the coronavirus outbreak, it was halted for months, much like many other projects. It then resumed in September 2020 with precautions in place. Now, the movie will face another hiatus for at least 14 days, which is the mandatory time period for isolation.

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The untitled third Fantastic Beasts film is being directed by David Yates, who also helmed the previous two parts – Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018). The screenplay is co-written by J. K. Rowling and Steve Kloves, from a story by Rowling. It is overall the eleventh installment in the Wizarding World franchise, including all Harry Potter movies.

Fantastic Beasts 3 plot detail has not been revealed yet. Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Jude Law, Callum Turner, Alison Sudol, and Jessica Williams are part of the Fantastic Beasts 3 cast.  Additionally, Mads Mikkelsen has replaced Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald. The movie is produced by David Heyman under Heyday Films, Lionel Wigram, Rowling, and Kloves. It is scheduled to release on July 15, 2022.