In a bit of a shocking move, WB has pushed filming of Fantastic Beasts 3 from summer to late autumn.

Deadline broke the news and reports that the delay of a few months “boils down to more prep time for part three.” Actors are currently being notified.

It’s not clear at this time why they need more prep time, though the report notes that “executives now have a new approach of allowing big productions to brew as needed.” In recent years, Warner Brothers has faced poor reviews of many of their DC films and, most recently, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.

Given the bad reviews of the Fantastic Beasts sequel, one wonders if the delay in production explicitly has to do with developing the script to make sure the story is coherent. Crimes of Grindelwald was quite messy as it tried to juggle too many characters and plot lines.

Fantastic Beasts 3, which Rowling has hinted will be set in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro, had been booked to hit theaters November 2020. It’s not clear right now if the production delay means it won’t be able to hit that date. Given the number of special effects required for these movies, they might need to move to a later date.

The sanctity of the Wizarding World franchise is on the line, and frankly, a delay in production in order to work on the story is a great idea. If only they’d had this idea while reading Rowling’s Crimes of Grindelwald script!

Crimes of Grindelwald will be released digitally next month.