The official trailer for Fantastic Beasts 3 has arrived – and the Wizarding World is about to be torn in two, based on the film series' newest teaser.
Originally set for release on February 24, but delayed by four days (presumably in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine), The Secrets of Dumbledore's trailer teases a much darker entry in the Harry Potter spin-off film franchise than we've previously seen.
Check out the new Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore trailer below:
Given the content on show in the film's final trailer, it's understandable why Warner Bros. elected not to release it earlier this month. The Secrets of Dumbledore's latest teaser is packed with footage of multiple wizard battles as Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) and Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) seek to prevent and destroy the world of Muggles respectively.
A teaser trailer for Fantastic Beasts 3 was released in early January, giving us our first proper look at Mikkelsen's Grindelwald after he replaced Johnny Depp on chief villain duties. Depp departed the project following an unrelated legal case against him in November 2020, with Mikkelsen announced as his replacement that same month.
As the film's trailers have revealed, other key cast members will reprise their roles from previous Fantastic Beasts movies. Law, Eddie Redmayne (Newt Scamander), Ezra Miller (Credence Barebone/Aurelius Dumbledore), Dan Fogler (Jacob Kowalski), and Alison Sudol (Queenie Goldstein) are among those returning.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore will launch exclusively in theaters worldwide on Friday, April 8.
Analysis: is 2022 the year of the Harry Potter renaissance?
It's been something of a sticky spell for the Harry Potter franchise in the last few years. With series creator J.K. Rowling becoming embroiled in a number of controversies in recent times, it's understandable that some long-time fans have turned their backs on the Wizarding World's multimedia empire.
Despite those former Potterheads ending their support for Rowling's works and the spin-offs spawned from it, though, Harry Potter is still a hugely popular series. Fans continue to flock to the Harry Potter Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London each year, as well as the Cursed Child West End stage play – proof that the franchise is still beloved by many. Meanwhile, a first edition copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone sold for $471,000 (£356,000) in December 2021 (per Reuters).
But it's 2022 where the real Harry Potter renaissance could occur. Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, an HBO Max unscripted cast reunion special, already drew huge numbers upon release on New Year's Day. And, with Fantastic Beasts 3 releasing soon and a new Harry Potter videogame – Hogwarts Legacy – rumored to launch later this year, 2022 could be the best 12-month period (from a cash generating perspective, at least) in the series' history.
