In the wake of Johnny Depp’s sudden departure from the franchise, Warner Bros has re-scheduled the release of the third Fantastic Beasts film for July 15, 2022.
The yet-to-be-titled sequel had originally been set to hit cinemas in November 2021, but Warner said last week that the film would be delayed until the following summer. The release will now fall one week after the launch of Disney’s Captain Marvel sequel.
Depp, who played villain Gellert Grindelwald in the Harry Potter prequel series, was forced to quit the franchise after losing his UK libel case spurred by The Sun’s story describing the actor as a ‘wife-beater.’
Though Warner has said it is recasting Depp’s role, the actor’s scenes had not yet been shot and his departure is not expected to cause a major delay in filming, which is currently underway in the UK.
The third film will once again star Eddie Redmayne as wizard Newt Scamander, with David Yates directing from a script by Harry Potter author J K Rowling and Steve Kloves.
The original 2016 film Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them grossed $234m in North America and $578.1m internationally. The 2018 sequel Crimes Of Grindelwald took $159.6m domestically and $491.7m in international markets.
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