If you forgot that there was a third FANTASTIC BEASTS film on the way, you're to be forgiven. The last film, 2018's FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD was met with tepid interest by fans and critics. Furthermore, it didn't exactly cast a lumos spell to light up the box office, raking in just over $650 million worldwide on a $200 million budget. Regardless, Warner Bros. has officially given a green light to the third entry in the Harry Potter prequel series, and now we have a firm window as to when principal photography will begin.
Despite several delays (the film was supposed to shoot in July of this year then Fall), FANTASTIC BEASTS 3 will begin filming in Spring 2020. Reports claim that the delay was due to a desire for more prep time as executives felt there was too quick a turnaround between the first and second films. While I certainly agree with that assessment, one wonders if the underwhelming box office of the second film had Warner Bros. second guessing the future of the franchise.
In related news, Warner Bros also reports that Jessica Williams' character of Lally will have a more significant role in the third film. The actress and comedian appeared briefly in THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD as a professor at the Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The third FANTASTIC BEASTS film will also follow the pattern of the first two movies, with the setting being on a different continent and city. Whereas the first and second films were set in NYC and Paris respectively, the third entry with find our heroes in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Johnny Depp, Ezra Miller, and Katherine Waterston are all set to return with director David Yates once again at the helm.
FANTASTIC BEASTS 3 apparates its way into theaters November 12, 2021.