‘Fantastic Beasts 3’ To Open In Theaters Earlier Than Planned: Report

“Fantastic Beasts” fans wouldn’t have to wait that long for the franchise’s next movie as the third installment has now been scheduled to hit cinemas earlier than previously planned.

“Fantastic Beasts 3” was originally scheduled to release on July 15, 2022. However, Warner Bros. has reportedly decided to move its premiere up by three months, so it is now opening in theaters on April 15 of next year, according to Variety.

As Warner Bros. has chosen to ditch the same-day release on HBO Max for a purely theatrical debut for all of its titles next year, the move to the Easter weekend is seen as a strategic one. This would help ensure the film pull in the big numbers.

Warner Bros. previously secured an Easter weekend schedule for an untitled event movie, so the move might not have come as a surprise for many industry insiders.

In the past, the studio enjoyed notable box office debuts during Easter weekend for some of its biggest titles, including “Batman v Superman” with $166 million, “Clash of the Titans” with $6.21 million and most recently, “Godzilla v. Kong,” which raked in $48 million in five days despite the pandemic, as per Deadline.

The studio has also revealed the official title of the third movie, which is “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” and its summary.

“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,” the movie’s official logline read.

The title suggests that the deepest, darkest secrets of Albus Dumbledore will be exposed in the upcoming “Fantastic Beasts” installment. One of them could be Dumbledore’s infatuation for Grindelwald as author J.K. Rowling previously promised that the third movie in the series will address so many unanswered questions in the franchise.

Fan speculations are leaning toward the possibility that Newt Scamander and his friends will finally uncover Dumbledore’s strong feelings for Grindelwald, allowing the franchise to finally stop avoiding Dumbledore’s homosexuality, according to Screen Rant.

“Harry Potter” veteran David Yates is directing “Secrets of Dumbledore,” which will see Eddie Redmayne and Jude Law reprising their roles as Newt and Albus, respectively. Also part of the cast are Ezra Miller, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol, Dan Fogler and Jessica Williams.

“Fantastic Beasts 3” will also see actor Mads Mikkelsen taking on the role of Grindelwald for the first time since replacing Johnny Depp.