Fantastic Beasts 3 Gets A Proper Title, Will Fly Into Theaters In 2022

Fans of the Wizarding World, we have news. The third entry in the "Fantastic Beasts" franchise, which serves as a prequel/spin-off to the main "Harry Potter" series, has been given an official title and release date. The movie will be called "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" and it will be hitting theaters sooner than expected, as revealed by this brief teaser/motion poster released online. 

#FantasticBeasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore in theatres April 15, 2022. pic.twitter.com/utJZxaRWNI

— Harry Potter Film (@HarryPotterFilm) September 22, 2021

"Fantastic Beasts 3" had previously been set to arrive in July of next year, but Warner Bros. has opted to bump it up by a few months. That could be taken as a good sign, or it could mean the studio wants to avoid heavy competition during the summer. Either way, it will be here come April.

And for those curious what the movie is all about, here is the official synopsis for "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore":

Professor Albus Dumbledore knows the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald is moving to seize control of the wizarding world. 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?

Between the title and synopsis, we might have some room to speculate about the plot of "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore." Albus Dumbledore is a complicated and wise man. He surely has many secrets. But what secrets is the title referring to, specifically? 

Fans might assume this means we are finally going to explicitly dive into the fact that Dumbledore is gay. To be more specific, he had an intense relationship with Gellert Grindelwald, the main villain of the "Fantastic Beasts" series. The character was played by Johnny Depp in "The Crimes of Grindelwald," but has been replaced by Mads Mikkelsen in the upcoming sequel. Because reasons.

Whether or not Warner Bros. wants to wade into those waters directly remains to be seen, but it seems inevitable that these movies will eventually need to broach the topic. And that title makes it seem like now is a perfect time.

While the first "Fantastic Beasts" seemed like a path for Warner Bros. to continue cashing in on "Harry Potter," things have since become complicated. Aside from the Depp controversy, franchise creator J.K. Rowling has angered many fans with her comments regarding transgender people, and Rowling remains heavily involved with these movies. It's also tough to ignore the fact that "The Crimes of Grindelwald" did not do nearly as well as its predecessor, either critically or commercially speaking. The third installment has a big hill to climb.

"Harry Potter" franchise veteran David Yates returned to direct "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore." The cast includes Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, and Jessica Williams

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