Much like every other film and television project out there, production on the third installment on the FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM franchise was shut down (on the very day it was slated to begin) due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19. Dan Fogler, who plays Jacob Kowalski in the FANTASTIC BEASTS franchise, spoke with SyFy Wire and teased that the series is leading up to some epic action sequences as all-out war breaks out in the Wizarding World.
I can say I read the script and the character development is really lovely and it’s very similar to the feel of the first movie, which I think is great. It’s leading toward this massive war with the backdrop of World War II, so you can just imagine epic battle scenes are coming.
Epic wizard battles against the backdrop of World War II? I'm down. Fogler also touched upon the production shutdown, saying that "we're just waiting. I guess when everybody else starts [back up], when the mechanism starts to move again and everybody starts to get back to work, that’s when we’ll get back to work. Hopefully, sooner than later." While audiences responded more or less positively to FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM, reception towards FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD was considerably more frosty, which leaves the third film with the added challenge of winning back fans. Continuing in the tradition of the first two films, FANTASTIC BEASTS 3 will continue to explore wizarding cultures across the globe as it's said to be set in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
FANTASTIC BEASTS 3 is currently slated for a November 12, 2021 release, but that date may very well be pushed back depending on when production is allowed to resume.