Fantastic Beasts 3 release date pushed back to 2021

It’ll be a long wait before Potterheads return to the Wizarding World.

J.K. Rowling’s third installment in her Fantastic Beasts film saga will hit theaters November 12, 2021, according to a statement from Warner Bros released Tuesday. Production on the film, which was expected to begin later this year, won’t start until 2020.

“We all believe this release date will give the filmmakers time and space to allow their artistry to truly flourish and deliver the best possible film to our fans,” Warner Bros. chairman Toby Emmerich said in the statement.

The news confirms months of rumors that the movie’s release date would be delayed.

Fantastic Beasts is planned to be a five-part film series. The first two films were released in 2016 and 2018 to lukewarm audiences. The Crimes of Grindelwald, released last November, was particularly polarizing and was the poorest-reviewed Wizarding World film to date, earning a rotten score from Rotten Tomatoes. The delay means there will be a three-year wait between the second and third films.

During an interview in February, Actor Dan Fogler, who plays Jacob Kowalski in the films, said the reason for the delay was because the movie would be “gigantic.”

“The reason we were given [for the delay in filming] is that the movie is bigger than the first two combined,” he said.

But one can’t help but think the delays are also in response to critic and fan reactions to Crimes of Grindelwald.

In Tuesday’s statement, Warner Bros. president of worldwide theatrical distribution and home entertainment Ron Sanders added, “J.K. Rowling created an awe-inspiring universe that has captivated people of all ages, taking us on an extraordinary magical journey. Warner Bros. is so proud to be the cinematic home of the Wizarding World and is excited about the future of the ‘Fantastic Beasts’ franchise. We look forward to bringing the third chapter of the five-film series to audiences around the globe in November 2021.”