The road to Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore has had its turbulent moments in production, but it was nonetheless determined to happen. The third movie of the ongoing Harry Potter prequel series released its first and long-awaited trailer, promising a magical return to the beloved wizarding world. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore seems to pick up right where Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald ends, and hints at an all-out war between wizards and muggles.
Warner Bros. has openly taken the disappointment that met Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald into account after it didn't perform as well as the first film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them had. In 2019, Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara made note that Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling had been working on the script and that the studio was "going to get it right" when approaching Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. In fact, former Harry Potter screenwriter Steve Kloves assisted Rowling in writing the highly anticipated threequel.
What is Fantastic Beasts 3 About?
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore positions itself as a centerpiece in the franchise's five-film plan. A young Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) assembles a team of his own tasked with taking down Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen, formerly Johnny Depp) as his power rapidly grows. There is a slight push forward in time, as the first two films found themselves in 1920s New York. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore finds itself in Rio de Janerio, Brazile, in the 1930s. The Fantastic Beasts saga will contribute to the involvement of the Wizarding World in World War II. Mikkelsen previously teased that the third film will pit Grindelwald directly against Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) during its climactic battle.
Who Will Be in Fantastic Beasts 3?
Redmayne will return as Scamander, an employee of the Ministry of Magic who works in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Scamander doubles as a self-identified magizooligist, and with him, totes a seeming-infinite suitcase that rehabilitates creatures in his care. Aside from being pivotal in countering the aftermath of the New York City attacks, Scamander is known to be a globetrotter who documents magical species around the world.
Joining him is Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston), an Auror on the Magical Congress of the United States of America. She also serves as Scamander's primary love interest as she accompanies him on his quest to take down Grindelwald alongside Dumbledore. Dumbledore is regarded as one of the most influential wizards among the Wizarding World, and then in later years, was Hogwarts Head Master. His blood pact with Grindelwald prevents him from dueling with him. His relationship with Grindelwald has been hinted at, though requires more depth moving forward.
Mikkelsen will follow Depp's lead as Grindelwald as he continues his reign of terror through dark magic and pursuit of leading a new Wizarding World Order that promotes wizarding supremacy. Ezra Miller will return as Credence Barebone after he set his Obscurus parasite loose in New York. While it was originally assumed that Barebone's true identity would reveal him to be part of the Lestrange family, he was informed that he is neither Barebone nor Lestrange, but Aurelius Dumbledore.
Dan Folger returns as No-Maj (or Muggle) Jacob Kowalski, a World War I veteran who befriended Scamander in the first film. Originally, he was the love interest of Queenie Goldstein (Alison Sudol) before she was persuaded to join Grindelwald. Queenie is Tina's younger sister and is a natural Legilimens of great power. A former employee for the Federal Wand Permit Bureau, Fantastic Beasts 3 is expected to illustrate Queenie's loyalty to Grindelwald.
Sequels love introducing siblings, and Callum Turner will take on the role of Theseus Scamander, brother of Newt, and employee of the British Ministry of Magic. He is heralded as a "war hero" for his bravery throughout the First World War, and is known for attempting to tame his brother's personality. Abeforth Dumbledore (Richard Coyle) provides a bit of depth to his brother's youth.
When Will Fantastic Beasts 3 Release?
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore will now release on April 15, 2022, having been moved up into an early slot in comparison to its previously announced July 15th dater. It was first rumored that Fantastic Beasts 3 would arrive in late 2021, though the studio cited various production delays as a reason for a deadline extension. Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich issued a statement regarding the delay, further saying:
"We all believe this release date will give the filmmakers time and space to allow their artistry to truly flourish and deliver the best possible film to our fans.”
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore experienced a pause in production after the COVID-19 pandemic emerged as a more immediate health threat, and while Warner Bros. labored for seeing Fantastic Beasts 3 arrive in 2021, they once again struggled with adhering to their release date. Depp was asked to depart from the project after the court battle between him and United Kingdom tabloid The Sun Newspaper regarding abuse allegations made by ex-wife Amber Heard. Consequently, Warner Bros. was forced to usher Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore into early 2022. Fortunately, the Fantastic Beasts series is still on track to uphold its five-picture plan.