'Fantastic Beasts 3' gets new release date after Depp's departure

The Fantastic Beasts franchise has decided that show must go on, even after one of its main antagonist Johnny Depp’s untimely firing from the series. 

Warner Bros. has added the third installment of the Harry Potter spinoff back to its 2022 release calendar, reported Variety. The film is now scheduled for a July 15, 2022 release.

The David Yates directorial that is currently under production in the UK was originally slated for a November 2021 release. The delay comes after actor Johnny Depp, who portrayed the dark-wizard Gellert Grindelwald in the franchise, announced that he was asked to step down from the role.

The production house asked Depp to resign after he lost his libel case against a British tabloid over a 2018 article alleging he was a “wife beater.” According to reports, Depp’s exit isn’t expected to affect production and the role is being recast.

The Fantastic Beasts franchise is a prequel to the original Harry Potter story featuring a number of characters from the books, including Albus Dumbledore, Newt Scamander, etc. Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne stars as Newt Scamander, while Jude Law portrays Dumbledore.

The franchise’s previous two outings rocked the box office, with the first installment Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them generating a massive $800 million at the global box office.