FANTASTIC BEASTS 3 Production Pushed To Late 2019, Which Means THE FLASH Could Be Delayed As Well
Production on Fantastic Beasts 3 has been pushed back a few months from summer to fall, but now, it seems that the slight delay could also result in production on The Flash being pushed back to 2020.
While J.K. Rowling's Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald didn't fare quite as well critically or commercially as its 2016 predecessor, it's still had a pretty solid box office run, grossing over $648.8 million worldwide ($158.6M domestic; $490.2M foreign) on an estimated $200 million production budget, making it the tenth highest grosser of the 2018 calendar year.
Earlier this evening, Deadline reported that Warner Bros. has decided to push back production on Fantastic Beasts 3 by a few months from July to late autumn, which seemingly suggests an October/November start date.
According to their report, the studio decided to adjust the schedule in order to give their Fantastic Beasts production team more pre-production time for the third film. They deemed the shift necessary after pre-production on Crimes of Grindelwald came down to the wire.
This move also signals a change in development strategy for the studio, which previously had a tendency to rush event films to meet pre-established release dates, but now, their top executives have bought into a new approach that will let their biggest productions have more breathing room and presumably give their directors additional time to deliver more polished blockbusters. The strategy did pay off tenfold with James Wan's Aquaman and they've already pushed back Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman 1984 eight months, so this new direction could and should bode well for the future of DC Films.
However, while this is promising news for filmmakers attached to Fantastic Beasts 3 and future WB productions, it does raise a number of questions about The Flash, which was expected to begin filming after Ezra Miller wrapped the Potterverse sequel this summer, but considering that his schedule is now wide open, could we see The Flash speed into production sooner than later?
The standalone DC film does have John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein onboard to direct and Miller, Kiersey Clemons, & Billy Crudup attached to star, but considering that WB is not looking to rush into production on anything anymore, it seems increasingly unlikely they'd decide to impulsively push up The Flash's production schedule to this summer (unless it's much further along than we've been led to believe), which likely means it won't roll cameras until at least early 2020.
At the end of the first film, the powerful dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald was captured by MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America), with the help of Newt Scamander. But, making good on his threat, Grindelwald escaped custody and has set about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise wizards and witches up to rule over all non-magical beings.
In an effort to thwart Grindelwald's plans, Albus Dumbledore enlists his former student Newt Scamander, who agrees to help, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald features:
Director: David Yates
Eddie Redmayne as Newton "Newt" Scamander
Jude Law as Albus Dumbledore
Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald
Katherine Waterston as Porpentina "Tina" Goldstein
Dan Fogler as Jacob Kowalski
Alison Sudol as Queenie Goldstein
Ezra Miller as Credence Barebone
Zoë Kravitz as Leta Lestrange
Callum Turner as Theseus Scamander
Claudia Kim as Nagini
William Nadylam as Yusuf Kama
Carmen Ejogo as Seraphina Picquery
Kevin Guthrie as Abernathy
Poppy Corby-Tuech as Vinda Rosier
Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Skender
Brontis Jodorowsky as Nicolas Flamel
Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson as Grimmson
David Sakurai as Krall
Derek Riddell as Torquil Travers
Wolf Roth as Spielman
Victoria Yeates as Bunty
Cornell John as Arnold Guzman
Jessica Williams as Eulalie Hicks
Joshua Shea as young Newt Scamander
Fiona Glascott as Minerva McGonagall
Deepak Anand in an undisclosed role
Liv Hansen as Ministry of Magic Witch
Alexandra Ford as Acolyte
Johanna Thea as Ministry of Magic Witch
Jag Patel as Senior Wizard
Adam Ewan as Yarwood
Israel Ruiz as Ministry of Magic Wizard
Aykut Hilmi as Shafiq
Joakim Skarli as Ministry of Magic Wizard
Jan Freygang in an undisclosed role
Linda Santiago as Credence's Aunt
Nicki Vickery as Senior Wizard
Simon Wan as Chang
Adrian Mozzi in an undisclosed role
Alfrun Rose as Red-Haired Witch
Christopher Birks as Young Auror
Bart Soroczynski as Stebbins
Phil Hodges as Prisoner 001
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald apparates into theaters November 16