Entertainment
Fantastic Beasts 2

These Details About 'Fantastic Beasts' 3 Will Leave You Asking Questions

by Ani Bundel
Warner Bros. Pictures

Fans initially rejoiced when Warner Bros. Pictures announced Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling would bring a new trilogy to the screen. Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them was a magical hit when it arrived in 2016. But viewers were wary when it was revealed the series was a five-part series about Dumbledore and Grindelwald, instead of the promised trilogy about Newt Scamander. It felt like a bait-and-switch, especially after Fantastic Beasts 2's big twists. But the franchise continues, and these details about Fantastic Beasts 3 suggest, despite delays, everyone is sticking to the original plan.

Before the release of the first Fantastic Beasts, Pottermore underwent an overhaul, turning into a centralized hub of Potter news. It also became the depository for Rowling's Wizarding World short fiction. The most significant addition was Rowling's reveal of Wizarding World schools outside of Hogwarts.

There were five Wizarding academies stories:

After the news Fantastic Beasts would be five installments instead of three, the theory arose each film would take place in one of these locations. So far, the first two have taken place in America and France. Now comes word Fantastic Beasts 3 will be set in Brazil.

According to Deadline, which broke the news:

Warner Bros. has greenlit the third Fantastic Beasts movie in the Harry Potter spinoff series with production starting spring 2020... As with the first two films, the third will take place on new continents, exploring wizarding cultures across the globe. The first Fantastic Beasts film was set in 1927 NYC, the second in Paris, and the third film will be set in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Fantastic Beasts 3 was delayed when the original release date, Nov. 20, 2020, was reassigned to the upcoming Dune remake. The new release date drops it back by a year to November of 2021. No reason was given for the change, but the considerable box office drop between the first and second films may have played a part. Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them opened at $74m and went on to gross $234m domestically and $580m worldwide. Fantastic Beasts 2 opened slightly lower at $62m, but then only grossed $158m domestic and $494m worldwide.

Not that those aren't respectable numbers. But coupled with bad reviews (Rotten Tomatoes ranks it at a 37% splat) and the twin fan uproars over both the film's twist Dumbledore ending and the continued casting of Johnny Depp, it seemed like the delay might be to retool.

But with this news of a Brazil-set third installment, it looks like Rowling and company are proceeding as planned. Fantastic Beasts 3 will hit theaters on Nov. 12, 2021.