Warner Bros. has confirmed that production on the third instalment in the Fantastic Beasts franchise has been delayed due to the ongoing concerns regarding the coronavirus.
According to Deadline, Fantastic Beasts 3 was scheduled the begin filming this week, however, Warner Bros. has decided to delay the production start date due to the virus. There is currently no word when production will begin or if this delay will affect the 2021 release date.
As with the first two films, Fantastic Beasts 3 is set to take place on a new continent, exploring wizarding cultures across the globe. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was set in 1927 New York and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald was set in Paris, while the third film will be set in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Fantastic Beasts 3 is being directed by David Yates from a screenplay written by franchise creator J.K. Rowling and Steve Kloves. Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Johnny Depp, Ezra Miller, Alison Sudol, Dan Fogler, Katherine Waterston, and Jessica Williams are all set to return as Newt Scamander, Albus Dumbledore, Gellert Grindelwald, Credence/Aurelius Dumbledore, Queenie Goldstein, Jacob Kowalski, Tina Goldstein, and Professor Eulalie Hicks respectively.
Fantastic Beasts 3 is currently scheduled for release on November 12th 2021.