One of the productions that’s really felt the sting of the COVID-19 pandemic is Warner Bros.' follow-up to Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, which was set to start filming as recently as last week. While the brakes are firmly applied to Fantastic Beasts 3 for now, that hasn't stopped the cast from talking about the events that are coming, and actor Dan Fogler recently teased a “massive war” ready to break out in J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World.
Dan Fogler was recently questioned about the status of Fantastic Beasts 3 during an interview and his specific tease about the future indicated World War II would be a key component. He said:
I can say I read the script and the character development is really lovely and it’s very similar to the feel of the first movie, which I think is great. It’s leading toward this massive war with the backdrop of World War II, so you can just imagine epic battle scenes are coming.
Ever the informative cast member, it should also be noted that the previous information about where and when Fantastic Beasts 3 would be shooting also came from Dan Fogler’s ever dependable, but still fairly spoiler-free, lips. So his remarks to SyFy Wire are not only legitimate, but a welcome update on what he knows about the upcoming sequel from having seen the script.
As the third film in a planned five installments for the Fantastic Beasts series, Dan Fogler’s comments about World War II and “epic battle scenes” should have Harry Potter loyalists salivating. These details tease some very familiar history that was initially hinted at in J.K. Rowling’s iconic book and film franchise, as Johnny Depp’s Gellert Grindelwald stepped up his campaign of magical terror in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.
It all tracks with the path of historical events that should eventually see him defeated by Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) in 1945, the very year that World War II ended. Considering Fantastic Beasts 3 has been tipped to deal more with Dumbledore, both as a Hogwarts professor and a magical warrior, the somewhat shaky Fantastic Beasts franchise looks to be attempting to venture back to fan friendly plains according to Dan Fogler's script notes. That much could be seen in the fact Fantastic Beasts 3 is also the return of Harry Potter screenwriter Steve Kloves, the man who worked on all but one of scripts for Warner Bros.’ massive cultural touchstone.
With Kloves’ knowledge of the cinematic world that made Harry Potter a household name, Dan Fogler’s mention of that massive wizarding war that saw Dumbledore and Grindelwald going toe to toe sounds like the Fantastic Beasts plan might be shaping up to play more like a promising extension of this prequel franchise, rather than a continuation of The Crimes of Grindelwald, which didn't resonate with all viewers.
Though, if I'm being truthful, I would always be happy to watch an entire Fantastic Beasts film set in the life of Dan Fogler’s Jacob Kowalski. Baking his own fanciful creations, Jacob could woo his beloved Queenie Goldstein back from the evils of Grindelwald’s fanaticism, and takes care of his own pet Niffler on the side. All while sporting his trademark short hair, and hopefully that fantastic beard the actor also recently teased as a potential new look for the movie. Alas, World War II is calling, and history cannot be altered; so we'll have to endure some war before the possibility of any peaceful ending in the Fantastic Beasts world.
Fantastic Beasts 3 is slated for a November 12, 2021 release date at this moment; but there’s still a chance that the delays in production may bump that debut into another window entirely. So, stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates on the production as they break.
