According to Deadline, Warner Bros. Pictures has announced that filming on the upcoming third installment of Fantastic Beasts has been temporarily halted due to a crew member testing positive for COVID-19. This is the latest setback that the project has endured since the beginning of production in September after months of delay due to the ongoing pandemic. Before this new delay, the film was hit with controversy surrounding the sudden exit of Johnny Depp as Grindelwald, who will now be portrayed by Mads Mikkelsen.
“A team member from Fantastic Beasts 3 has tested positive for COVID-19,” the studio said in a statement. “The diagnosis was confirmed as a result of required and ongoing testing that all production employees receive, and the team member is currently in isolation. Out of an abundance of caution, Fantastic Beasts 3 paused production and will be back up in accordance with safety guidelines.”
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Fantastic Beasts 3 will again feature the return of Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander, Katherine Waterston as Tina Goldstein, Dan Fogler as Jacob Kowalski, Alison Sudol as Queenie Goldstein, Ezra Miller as Credence, Jude Law as Albus Dumbledore, and Jessica Williams as Professor Eulalie Hicks.
The third installment will again be directed by David Yates from a screenplay written by J.K. Rowling and Steve Kloves. The third movie in the franchise is currently filming in the UK.
The previous film in the Harry Potter prequel franchise, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, earned $653 million at the worldwide box office. The first two Fantastic Beasts movies were directed by David Yates, from a screenplay by J.K. Rowling, and produced by David Heyman, J.K. Rowling, Steve Kloves, and Lionel Wigram.
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Fantastic Beasts 3 is set to hit theaters on July 15, 2022.
