“It’s interesting because we’ve started shooting now,” star Eddie Redmayne told CinemaBlend.

“We’re two weeks in, and again, it’s a whole new process. It’s a whole new normal. Testing frequently, masks. And I wondered, actually, whether the masks would affect creativity, in some ways. Maybe that was a bit ignorant, but I just thought, as humans, do we need interaction to spark from each other.

“What is really reassuring is that it is a different process, but it still feels like it’s fizzing and that everyone is working at the top of their game,” he concluded.

And speaking to the Daily Mail, he revealed some of the processes used to keep the cast safe during filming.

“We’re being tested several times a week; we are wearing masks for rehearsal; we’re in bubbles,” he said. “It does make you extra careful.”

Filming was paused once again in the UK on 3rd February 2021 after a crew member tested positive for COVID-19. However, composer James Newton Howard confirmed that filming finished later that same month.

“I’ll be just getting ready to start Fantastic Beasts 3, I hope, in March,” Howard told Deadline in February 2020. “I know that David Yates has finished shooting, and I’m chomping at the bit to get going, so I hope he’ll give me some movie soon.”

Fantastic Beasts 3 cast

The following cast members have been confirmed for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.

• Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander
• Jude Law as Albus Dumbledore
• Ezra Miller as Aurelius Dumbledore/Credence Barebone
• Dan Fogler as Jacob Kowalski
• Alison Sudol as Queenie Goldstein
• Callum Turner as Theseus Scamander
• Jessica Williams as Professor Eulalie “Lalie” Hicks
• Katherine Waterston as Tina Goldstein
• Mads Mikkelsen as Gellert Grindelwald
• Wiliam Nadylam as Yusuf Kama
• Poppy Corby-Tuech as Vinda Rosier
• Victoria Yeates as Bunty
• Richard Coyle as Aberfoth Dumbledore
• Maria Fernanda Cândido as Vicência Santos
• Oliver Masucci as Anton Vogel
• Aleksandr Kuznetsov as Helmut 
• Dave Wong as Liu Tao

The biggest casting news is undoubtedly the addition of Hannibal’s Mads Mikkelsen to the main cast, taking over the role of lead antagonist Gellert Grindelwald.

Mikkelsen is no stranger to playing iconic villains – he played Hannibal for three seasons and also starred as Bond villain Le Chiffre in Casino Royale.

His casting came after Johnny Depp stepped down from the role, with the actor announcing he would no longer portray Grindelwald, having been “asked to resign” by Warner Bros.

In an interview with Collider, Mikkelson revealed that he would not be doing an impersonation but would develop his own take on the character.

“Nobody’s interested in me going in there and trying to copy anything, that would be creative suicide immediately, especially when it’s been done before and masterfully,” Mikkelson said. “So everybody’s expecting us to find a different path. Having said that, we need a bridge between what he did and what I’m gonna do, so those bridges you have to find together.”

As for the remainder of the cast, you can expect to see Eddie Redmayne back as Newt Scamander alongside Dan Fogler (Jacob Kowalski), Alison Sudol (Queenie), Katherine Waterstone (Tina), Ezra Miller (Credence Barebone), Callum Turner (Theseus), Victoria Yeates (Bunty) and Jude Law (Dumbledore), with Jessica Williams set to play Professor Eulalie “Lally” Hicks following a cameo in the previous film.

It seems Tina has a smaller role this time around as she hasn’t been glimpsed in any promotional material thus far.

Meanwhile, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina star Richard Coyle is swapping one magical franchise for another, as he has reportedly joined the film as Albus’s estranged younger brother Aberforth Dumbledore.

Elsewhere, Poppy Corby-Tuech will play Vinda Rosier, Grindelwald’s Occlumens and close follower, while Maria Fernanda Cândido will portray Vicência Santos, a candidate to be Candidate for the post of Supreme Head of the International Confederation of Wizards.

Finally, Oliver Masucci plays Anton Vogel, the current Supreme Head of the International Confederation of Wizards and the German Minister of Magic.

Fantastic Beasts 3 plot

The official synopsis for the third movie teases trouble in the wizarding world.

“Professor Albus Dumbledore knows the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald is moving to seize control of the wizarding world,” it 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?”

YouTube/Warner Bros.

Back in March 2020, Fogler revealed he had read the script, telling Digital Spy: “The character development is really lovely and it’s very similar to the feel of the first movie, which I think is great. It’s leading toward this massive war with the backdrop of World War II, so you can just imagine epic battle scenes are coming.”

Fogler’s co-star also gave some hints about what fans can expect from the third movie, revealing recently: “I never really know what I’m supposed to say or not say. But yes, I can confirm there will be surprises. I just thought of one, in fact. It surprised me! I think that’s about as far as I can go.”

Fantastic Beasts 3 trailer

The official trailer for the third Fantastic Beasts movie has finally dropped.

The clip gives fans a first look at Mads Mikkelsen as Gellert Grindelwald, the villain role previously filled by Johnny Depp in the first two films.