Huge News Just Broke About Fantastic Beasts 3

The next chapter in the "Fantastic Beasts" franchise has had a tumultuous time getting off the ground in the last year, but Warner Bros. finally has some good news for fans of the Wizarding World. "Fantastic Beasts 3" was one of many projects which was affected by the ongoing pandemic back in March 2020 and filming halted until the cast and crew eventually returned to work on the third film in September 2020. The previous film in the series, "The Crimes of Grindelwald," sees Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) try to stop Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) and Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller) from causing havoc across the world.

Grindelwald is obsessed with the idea of Pureblood domination over other wizards and No-Majs/muggles — much like another famous dark wizard who shows up later in the timeline. The film also reveals that Credence is Albus Dumbledore's (Jude Law) half-brother, Aurelius Dumbledore. This revelation clearly didn't impress many audiences, as it holds a 36% critic rating and a 54% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

However, Warner Bros. is committed to continuing the "Fantastic Beasts" story, and the studio just revealed some huge news for the third sequel which will explore the shocking reveal in more detail.

Warner Bros. announced that the next film is titled "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" — which obviously suggests that Dumbledore's life will be put under the microscope more than ever before. The title likely refers to Credence's mysterious past, as well as Albus Dumbledore himself. It'll be interesting to see how Credence's time with Grindewald changes him, although Johnny Depp isn't reprising his role as the villain because he stepped down from the role amid his legal battle with his ex-wife Amber Heard. "Casino Royale" and "Hannibal" star Mads Mikkelsen is replacing him in the role going forward, so expect the Wizarding World to come up with a magical way of explaining Grindelwald's new look.

Warner Bros. announced "The Secrets of Dumbledore" on Instagram, also revealing the film's new release date. It was originally set to debut on July 15 2022, but it'll now arrive in theaters three months earlier on April 15, 2022 — which is good news for fans of the franchise. The studio also released a synopsis for the sequel (as per Variety) and it teases that the battle with Grindelwald is only getting bigger.

"Professor Albus Dumbledore knows the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald is moving to seize control of the wizarding world," the official summary reads. "Unable to stop him alone, he entrusts Magizoologist Newt Scamander to lead an intrepid team of wizards, witches and one brave Muggle baker on a dangerous mission, where they encounter old and new beasts and clash with Grindelwald's growing legion of followers. But with the stakes so high, how long can Dumbledore remain on the sidelines?"

"Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" arrives on April 15, 2022.