Fantastic Beasts 3 Unveils Earlier Release Date, Title

The next Fantastic Beasts installment, newly titled The Secrets of Dumbledore, will open in theaters on April 15, 2022. The third entry in the fantasy franchise was originally scheduled--after several delays--to release on July 15 of next year. Both of these developments were reported by Deadline.

The film's official logline is as follows: "Professor Albus Dumbledore knows the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald is moving to seize control of the wizarding world. Unable to stop him alone, he entrusts Magizoologist Newt Scamander to lead an intrepid team of wizards, witches and one brave Muggle baker on a dangerous mission, where they encounter old and new beasts and clash with Grindelwald’s growing legion of followers. But with the stakes so high, how long can Dumbledore remain on the sidelines?"

The film will see the returns of Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander and Jude Law as Albus Dumbledore. Johnny Depp was going to return as Grindelwald, but that is no longer the case, as has been widely reported and the cause of some internet drama. Madds Mikeelsen has stepped in to take over the role, and said earlier this year that it would be "creatively stupid" to try to copy Depp's performance.

Grindelwald is not the first Harry Potter character to be recast, as Dumbledore was originally played by Richard Harris until his passing. After that, Michael Gambon came in to play the character in his own way that took the spirit of Harris' portrayal but with his own style.