'Fantastic Beasts 3' release date delayed to 2022 following Johnny Depp's departure

Fantastic Beasts 3 is an upcoming fantasy film in the Wizard World franchise. Like several other projects, the movie has been facing delay in production due to coronavirus pandemic. Now the release date of the film has been shifted again to 2022.

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Fantastic Beasts 3 release date delayed to 2022 after Johnny Depp’s exit

As per a report in Variety, Warner Bros. Pictures, the studio behind the Fantastic Beasts film series, has pushed the upcoming third instalment by a few months. It was initially set to hit the theatres on November 20, 2020. However, it got delayed due to COVID-19 pandemic to November 12, 2021. Now with the latest development, Fantastic Beasts 3 is eyeing for a release during summer of 2022. The exact date has not been confirmed by the makers yet.

The decision came soon after Johnny Depp’s exit from the franchise. He played Gellert Grindelwald in the first two films. The actor was originally set to reprises the character again in Fantastic Beasts 3. But Warner Bros. asked him to resign from the series, a few days after Depp lost his libel case against The Sun tabloid over a 2018 article alleging he was a “wife beater” to Amber Heard. Grindelwald will be recast for future projects.

Also Read | Johnny Depp Will Exit The 'Fantastic Beasts' Franchise

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Fantastic Beasts 3 commenced production on November 4, 2019. It was slated to begin in Spring 2020 with shooting location being Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Filming officially resumed in September 2020 in the United Kingdom. Warner Bros. studio has set up extensive systems to keep COVID-19 protocols up-to-date, ensuring the safety of cast and crew. It is currently under production.

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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 instalment in the Wizarding World franchise, including all Harry Potter movies.

Fantastic Beasts 3 cast has Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Jude Law, Callum Turner, Alison Sudol, and Jessica Williams. The movie is produced by David Heyman under Heyday Films, Lionel Wigram, Rowling and Kloves. Plot details have been under wraps.