So far, the Fantastic Beasts series has offered a more global flavor than the Harry Potter franchise, which was largely confined to Hogwarts and the surrounding areas. The prequels have instead opted to set the bulk of the narrative in a different city or country each time around, and the third chapter’s locale could have a massive bearing on the story.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them saw Newt Scamander head to 1926 New York City, where he became embroiled in a magical conspiracy, although he did set sail back to his native England by the time the credits rolled. The Crimes of Grindelwald flitted between London, NYC and Paris, with the titular villain escaping from custody and setting his plans to conquer the Wizarding World in motion.
We still don’t know a whole lot about Fantastic Beasts 3 plot-wise, but a new rumor offers up a tantalizing tease that the brewing storm warring factions of good and evil could be directly connected to World War II. It was confirmed long ago that a decent chunk of the plot would take place in 1930s Rio de Janeiro, but Germany is now said to be hosting the majority of the movie’s biggest set pieces and plot beats.
In The Crimes of Grindelwald, the big bad projected a vision of a conflict that would impact both humans and magical folk, and used it as a rallying cry to spread his message of rebellion and uprising all across Europe. The second of the five-film series was set in 1927, so there could be a sizeable time jump on the cards for Fantastic Beasts 3 if the broad strokes place World War II as a pivotal moment in history where the fate of every citizen is decided, whether they be muggle or otherwise.
