Following the release of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, we’re now three films into the franchise – with a further two entries still planned before the saga draws to a close.
There was a gap of more than three years between the second and third instalments – thanks in part due to delays caused by both casting changes and the COVID pandemic – and fans will be itching to know if there will be a similar wait this time around.
Read on for everything we know so far about Fantastic Beasts 4 – including which cast members we expect to return and when it might be released.
Fantastic Beasts 4 release date speculation
JK Rowling outlined back in 2016 that the Fantastic Beasts franchise would comprise five films in total, but there’s been no word yet on when the fourth film will begin production – and it seems fans will have to wait rather a while before their next trip to the Wizarding World.
Indeed, speaking during a fan event in Japan in February 2022, producer David Heyman revealed that writing had not yet begun on the next installment.
“Well, we haven’t yet started writing the next film,” he responded when asked if the franchise might ever include scenes set in Japan. “So we’ll have to see. If I have my way, we’ll definitely be going to Japan.”
Moreover, in August 2021, Deadline reported that director David Yates was set to helm an untitled film based on Evan Hughes’ nonfiction book The Hard Sell as his next project.
According to the report, Yates had been informed by Warner Bros that there would be a break between the third and fourth Fantastic Beasts films, although it’s not clear quite how long that break would be.
This has not been confirmed in the time since, but it would certainly chime with Heyman’s quotes – and so all signs seem to be pointing towards something of a gap.
It’s even possible that we might not see another entry at all. Although it’s long been clear that the initial intention was for five films, release dates for the fourth and fifth instalments have never appeared on Warner Bros’ film slate – it’s possible Warner Bros might want to take stock before making a concrete decision as to how to proceed.
That remains a relatively remote possibility for now, but either way it seems unlikely we’ll see another film for at least a few years. As ever, we’ll keep you in the loop as soon as any further developments are made public – so keep checking back for the latest information.
Who could appear in the Fantastic Beasts 4 cast?
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With nothing officially confirmed about the fourth instalment at this juncture, it’s too early to make definitive declarations about the cast – but barring any major developments we can be all but certain that most of the main stars would be back for the next outing.
Expect to see more, then, of Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander, Jude Law as Albus Dumbledore, Mads Mikkelsen as Gellart Grindelwald, Dan Fogler as Jacob Kowalski and Alison Studol as Queenie Goldstein.
As for Ezra Miller’s Credence, the future is a little more uncertain. The character appeared to be dying towards the end of the third film, so it’s possible they might not return in the next chapter.
Meanwhile, after being largely absent from the third entry, Katherine Waterston might be given a more substantial role in the next film – especially given her appearance at the end of Secrets of Dumbledore.
Other stars we’d expect to be in line for a return include Callum Turner as Theseus Scamander, Jessica Williams as Professor Eulalie “Lally” Hicks, William Nadylam as Yusuf Kama, Victoria Yeates as Bunty Broadacre, Poppy Corby-Tuech as Vinda Rosier and Richard Coyle as Aberforth Dumbledore.
And it’s highly probable there would be some new additions as well – perhaps some might even play familiar characters from the Wizarding World.
What might the Fantastic Beasts 4 plot be?
Considering work hasn’t begun on the new script yet, it’s too early to say what events might occur – unless someone is in possession of a Quilin like the one that gave Grindelwald future-telling abilities in The Secrets of Dumbledore.
But we can safely assume that the next chapter will continue to explore the ongoing battle between Grindelwald and Dumbledore, especially now that the blood pact that previously prevented them from duelling has been broken.
We’d also expect to see magical beasts continuing to play crucial roles – with more fantastical creatures likely to be introduced as well.
When more information becomes available, we’ll post it right here.
Is there a Fantastic Beasts 4 trailer?
It’s far too early for any trailer at this stage – with production still quite a way off. We’ll be keeping our eye out for any promotional materials in the future though, and as soon as anything comes available we’ll update this page accordingly.
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