Fantastic Beasts 3 release date: when is The Secrets of Dumbledore coming out, cast, is Johnny Depp in film?

A dramatic, three-minute teaser first teaser has been unveiled for the next film in the Fantastic Beasts film series, itself a spin-off of the Harry Potter franchise.

The Harry Potter spin-off had previously been listed to launch three months later in July, but will instead release in April 2022 having been brought forward by Warner Bros.

Here is everything you need to know about Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore release date

The third Fantastic Beasts film, The Secrets of Dumbledore, is out in UK cinemas today (8 April)

What happens in Fantastic Beasts 3 trailer?

Set several years after the events of The Crimes Of Grindelwald, sees Eddie Redmayne’s Newt Scamander and Jude Law’s Albus Dumbledore prepare to face the shadowy figure of Grindelwald in battle.

“If you listen carefully enough, the past whispers to you,” Law says before introducing the protagonists, which he describes as “a magizoologist, his indispensable assistant, a wizard descended from a very old family, a school teacher and a muggle.”

Mads Mikkelsen - as evil wizard Gellert Grindelwald - is later seen in character announcing: “Our war with the muggles begins today.”

Viewers are also treated to throwback surprises from the original films, including a visit to Hogwarts and what appears to be the school’s secret Room of Requirement, which was an important location in the original Potter series.

While the spin-offs take place long before the events involving Harry, Ron and Hermione, fans will be familiar with younger versions of characters such as Dumbledore.

Also starring in The Secrets Of Dumbledore are Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Ezra Miller and Callum Turner. Harry Potter author JK Rowlingco-wrote the script alongside Steve Kloves.

Who’s replaced Johnny Depp in Fantastic Beasts 3?

Mads Mikkelsen makes his debut as Gellert Grindelwald in the trailer.

The Danish actor took over the role from Johnny Depp, who departed the Harry Potter prequel series after losing a High Court battle against his ex-wife Amber Heard.

Depp, 58, stepped down from the role of Grindelwald after losing the high-profile libel case against the Sun newspaper over an article which labelled him a “wife beater”.

Mikkelsen, 56, whose credits include Bond villain Le Chiffre and Dr Hannibal Lecter in the television series Hannibal, was subsequently announced as his replacement.

Mikkelsen’s take on the character appears markedly different from his predecessor’s, eschewing spiked white hair in favour of a cropped and darker look.

Hollywood star Depp’s Grindelwald also had a pallid complexion, while Mikkelsen appears less pale.

When can I watch Fantastic Beasts 3?

Fantastic Beasts 3 was originally due to begin filming in March 2020 but the coronavirus pandemic prompted Warner Bros to postpone production until September.

Filming was halted in February 2021 after a “team member” tested positive for coronavirus; it had been filming at Warner Bros Studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire.

The film is due to arrive in April 2022 and will see the return of David Yates, director of the later four Harry Potter films and the first two Fantastic Beasts movies.

Two further Fantastic Beasts films are in the pipeline.

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