Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 3 sets an Easter weekend release date and will be coming out April 15, 2022 under the title, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Secrets of Dumbledore.
David Yates returns to direct The Secrets of Dumbledore.
The two Fantastic Beasts movies have grossed a combined $1.46 billion worldwide. Altogether, with the $7.7 billion made by the Harry Potter franchise, the Rowling Wizarding Universe counts close to $9.2B at the global box office.
In the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them series, Eddie Redmayne plays Magizoologist Newt Scamander, a collector and tamer of mystical beasts who makes his way through the secret wizard communities of New York, Paris and London during the late 1920s. The movies also have starred Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller and Dan Fogler along with Callum Turner (Theseus Scamander), William Nadylam (Yusuf Kama), Poppy Corby-Tuech (Vinda Rosier), Jessica Williams (Professor Hicks) and Victoria Yeates (Bunty).
Johnny Depp, who had portrayed villain Grindelwald in the franchise, was asked to leave the movie franchise following allegations of being a “wife beater” per the UK courts in November. The part was given to Mads Mikkelsen. It’s not yet clear how the recast will be handled in the movie, but given the world of Harry Potter, it could easily be put down to a potion, accident or magical disguise. Mikkelsen revealed he took on the role of Grindelwald because his daughter is a fan of the Harry Potter series. Don’t go expecting Mikkelsen to do a Depp impression.
“I have been a fan of Johnny Depp since I saw him as a young man, and to try to bring his intensity and his way of doing it into my work is a no-go. I have to find my own, because his is unique, and I just have to let that be, and find a different path,” he said.
Along with a new release date and cast adjustment, came a snippet of the official synopsis:
“Professor Albus Dumbledore knows the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald is moving to seize control of the wizarding world. Unable to stop him alone, he entrusts Magizoologist Newt Scamander to lead an intrepid team of wizards, witches and one brave Muggle baker on a dangerous mission, where they encounter old and new beasts and clash with Grindelwald’s growing legion of followers. But with the stakes so high, how long can Dumbledore remain on the sidelines?”
With this in mind, talk has spread of a possibility to extend the franchise further with a fourth and fifth installment but nothing has been officially confirmed.
Test your Harry Potter knowledge with our quiz here and read our article on the future of the Fantastic Beasts series here.