Warner Bros. has delayedFantastic Beasts 3until summer 2022. The announcement comes after the studio confirmed thatJohnny Depp will depart the franchise. “We thank Johnny for his work on the films to date,” the studio said. “Fantastic Beasts 3is currently in production, and the role of Gellert Grindelwald will be recast. The film will debut in theaters worldwide in the summer of 2022.” Depp revealed that Warner Bros. asked him to leave, which he agreed to.
The newFantastic Beasts 3release date comes just days after Johnny Depp lost his libel lawsuit against The Sun tabloid, which claimed in a headline that he was a “wife beater.” Depp plans to appeal the ruling. As of this writing, it is unclear who the studio will get to replace Depp as Gellert Grindelwald, though that announcement should be coming along shortly. TheFantastic Beastsfranchise has proven to be a success at the box office and manyHarry Potterfans have been looking forward to the third installment.
Fantastic Beasts 3star Eddie Redmayne recently spoke aboutfilming the movie during the public health crisis. As it turns out, they were originally able to shoot for one day before the pandemic broke out. From there, the cast and crew were sent home. “We’re so lucky to be back in work and it’s interesting, it’s kind of like - film crews are amazing people and they’re very adaptable people,” says Redmayne. “So, we have a lot of testing, you know, we’re in bubbles, and we’re all masked, but it’s been kind of… actually kind of great. So, it’s nice to be back at work and I feel very lucky.”
As for getting used to thenew safety protocols, Eddie Redmayne says it has been pretty easy. As for what theFantastic Beasts 3set looks like these days, the actor says they are “testing frequently” and wearing masks. “I wondered, actually, whether the masks would affect creativity, in some ways. Maybe that was a bit ignorant, but I just thought, as humans, do we need interaction to spark from each other,” notes Redmayne. “What is really reassuring is that it is a different process, but it still feels like it’s fizzing and that everyone is working at the top of their game.”
When it comes down to it, there was always a possibility thatFantastic Beasts 3was going to get pushed back. With so many cases spiking again and movie theaters across Europe shutting down again, there’s no telling what 2021 will look like for the entertainment industry. With that being said, the studio now has the luxury of finding the right actor to replaceJohnny Deppand take on the role of Gellert Grindelwald.Varietywas one of the first outlets to reveal the newFantastic Beasts 3release date.
