It appears that another hindrance has popped up during the Fantastic Beasts 3 production. According to Deadline, Warner Bros. had to stop the UK shooting after someone from the crew tested positive for COVID-19. The report doesn’t detail the person’s name, but it appears that the case is important enough to halt the whole production. The producers confirmed the news and released a public statement about the situation.
“A team member from Fantastic Beasts 3 has tested positive for COVID-19,” said Warner Bros. in the 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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Once the situation is back on track, Fantastic Beasts 3 will resume shooting in the UK. Recently, leading actor Eddie Redmayne teased that one of the scenes will involve swimming in England’s cold water. According to Warner Bros.’s current plans, the film should debut in theaters on July 15, 2022. For now, the recent COVID-19 news shouldn’t affect the premiere date for the movie. However, the producers didn’t comment on this.
In the past year, Warner Bros. had to recast the key role of Grindelwald following Johnny Depp’s exit from the franchise over long-standing claims of domestic violence. Actor Mads Mikkelsen will now portray Albus Dumbledore’s best-friend-turned-into-bitter-enemy.
Do you think that the recent news will also affect the release date of Fantastic Beasts 3? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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