'Fantastic Beasts 3' Production Pushed Back

Production on the third installment of the Fantastic Beasts franchise has reportedly been delayed [...]

By Michael Hein

Production on the third installment of the Fantastic Beasts franchise has reportedly been delayed following The Crimes of Grindelwald.

The Harry Potter spin-off series is pushing forward, with the intention of telling its story across five movies. They may come more slowly than fans thought, however, as filming for Fantastic Beasts 3 has been delayed, according to a report by Deadline. The movie was scheduled to begin shooting in July, however, it will now wait until later in the year — probably late autumn.

Plain and simple, the production team apparently needs more time before setting their cameras up. Like the past two films, the screenplay for Fantastic Beasts 3 comes straight from Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling herself. It is unclear where that script stands in terms of completion, but the production team has decided to take more time on the pre-production parts of the movie.

The cast has reportedly been informed about the production delay and adjusted their schedules accordingly. At this rate, it is unlikely that the movie will be released in November 2020, as the existing pattern would indicate. However, Warner Bros. is reportedly trying a more patient approach to its big blockbuster hits, giving them more time and space rather than rushing them to their holiday deadlines.

So far, there are few details available about Fantastic Beasts 3. The movie is expected to pick up right where Crimes of Grindelwald left off, on a bit of a cliffhanger. It will answer many lingering questions left by the last installment, and will presumably see its biggest cast members return, including young Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law). David Yates will return as director while Rowling will return as a producer.

The Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them franchise follows Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), a "Magizoologist" focused on rare, powerful and often misunderstood magical creatures from around the world. The movies have followed Newt around new places in the 1920s wizarding world, including New York City and Paris, greatly expanding the fictional settings established in the Harry Potter series.

Other big stars include Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol and Dan Fogler. Ezra Miller plays the volatile young wizard Credence, while Johnny Depp plays the main villain, Grindelwald. The last movie made a respectable $650 million at the worldwide box office, bringing the series' total up to $1.46 billion. Combined with the Harry Potter franchise, this means that Rowling is now responsible for $9.2 billion in movie ticket sales.

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