The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic prompted Warner Bros. to halt production of its third Fantastic Beasts film on Monday, March 16, the same day the film was to have begun filming.
How long production will remain halted is currently unknown and it’s also unclear whether this delay will affect the film’s release date of November 12, 2021, according to Variety.
[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true”]
This production halt is not Fantastic Beasts 3’s first schedule setback. Filming was postponed in 2019 after it was determined additional pre-production for the movie needed. That’s when the movie’s new release date of November 12, 2021, was announced.
The third installment in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them series sees Eddie Redmayne return as Newt Scamander and David Yates back in the director’s chair. Katherine Waterston and Dan Fogler are also reprising their roles as Tina Goldstein and Jacob Kowalski respectively.
This movie is expected to be the third of a five-movie series, although Fantastic Beasts was originally set to be a three-movie story. Each movie will take place in a different city too. The third is set to take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/04/29/fantastic-beasts-3-will-release-in-2021″]
For more about Fantastic Beasts, read about how J.K. Rowling confirmed the relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald’s was in fact a “love relationship” with “sexual dimensions.”
You can also check out our reviews of the first two films in the series. We thought the first movie was okay, giving Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them a 6.5 out of 10, while we thought the sequel was great, giving Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald an 8 out of 10.
[poilib element=”accentDivider”]
Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.
Source: IGN.com Fantastic Beasts 3 Production Halted Due to Coronavirus