“Fantastic Beasts” 3 Production Halted Due to Positive COVID Test Among Cast

The Daily Mail reported earlier today that an “irreplaceable” cast member of the third Fantastic Beasts installment, currently in production at Leavesden Studios, has contracted COVID-19. MuggleNet can exclusively confirm that this is true, but only in the fact that every human life is irreplaceable.

The “cast member” who contracted the virus was an extra, not a principal cast member. We were not able to confirm the strain of the virus contracted by the extra since Warner Bros. did not return our request for comment. However, according to the Daily Mail, a Warner Bros. representative made this statement:

A team member from Fantastic Beasts 3 has tested positive for COVID-19. The diagnosis was confirmed as a result of required and ongoing testing that all production employees receive, and the team member is currently in isolation. Out of an abundance of caution, Fantastic Beasts 3 paused production and will be back up in accordance with safety guidelines.

As we previously exclusively reported, filming is due to wrap this week, and the shutdown comes just two days prior.

Last September, Leavesden Studios had to halt production on The Batman for a couple of weeks after Robert Pattinson (who played Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) tested positive for COVID-19. Considering he was the star of that film, we can hope that production on Fantastic Beasts does not have to be shut down for as long, but that’s assuming the virus has not spread further among the cast and crew. With the new, more transmissible coronavirus variants now in circulation, it makes sense that Warner Bros. would want to take every precaution.

We hope to hear more information soon.

The still-untitled Fantastic Beasts 3 has a release date of July 15, 2022.