When the Harry Potter saga wrapped up in 2011 with The Deathly Hallows- Part 2, we knew that it wouldn't be long before J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World returned to the big screen. After all, the Potter franchise was a cash cow for both Warner Bros. and Rowling, and the mythology was so rich that a new series of films was simply irresistible. Rowling claimed that the saga of the Boy Who Lived was complete (although I'm sure many would argue that we'll inevitably see a big-screen adaptation of The Cursed Child in the next decade, as long as the main cast returns), but that didn't mean there wasn't room for a variety of spin-offs and stand-alone movies. Last year, Warner Bros. gave us Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the first of a planned series that would span five movies and presumably several decades. Fantastic Beasts was generally well-received by critics and fans (I didn't much care for it, but what do I know), but perhaps more importantly, it made $813.2 million at the worldwide box office. Money talks, and with the return of more familiar faces and the addition of Johnny Depp's Gellert Grindelwald, I see no reason that the sequels couldn't pass $1 billion. But ever since WB revealed the plan for the franchise, which was to document the legendary battle between Grindelwald and Albus Dumbledore, fans have been clamoring to know who would play the younger version of the legendary wizard. Yesterday, we finally got our answer.
In a press release, Warner Bros. Chief Creative Officer Toby Emmerich revealed that Jude Law will be playing a young version of Albus Dumbledore in the upcoming sequel. The story will follow Dumbledore during his time as a Transfiguration professor before he served as Hogwarts headmaster. Emmerich had this to say about the casting:
"As fans ourselves, we are thrilled to have Jude Law joining the Fantastic Beasts cast, playing a character so universally adored. Jude has been a member of the Warner Bros. family for years and we're excited to embark on this new adventure with him."
In my book, this is pitch-perfect casting. Law has proven himself to be a talented, charismatic actor over the years, earning raves as recently as this year for his performance in the HBO series The Young Pope. While I'm less excited about the potential of Depp playing Grindelwald, the dynamic between the two stars should be quite fascinating. I'm still not entirely sold on the idea of a Fantastic Beasts series, but quite frankly, I'm always down for more Harry Potter. As far as I can tell, the main players of the original film will be returning, with Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Ezra Miller, Alison Sudol, and Zoe Kravitz all set to reprise their roles. While the film will certainly focus on Dumbledore and Grindelwald, I'm sure that Newt Scamander and Tina Goldstein will find their way into the action somehow.
According to the press release, director David Yates is aiming for a summer shoot with a release date set for November 16, 2018.
Image Credits: IMDB/HBO/WB
"As fans ourselves, we are thrilled to have Jude Law joining the Fantastic Beasts cast, playing a character so universally adored. Jude has been a member of the Warner Bros. family for years and we're excited to embark on this new adventure with him."
In my book, this is pitch-perfect casting. Law has proven himself to be a talented, charismatic actor over the years, earning raves as recently as this year for his performance in the HBO series The Young Pope. While I'm less excited about the potential of Depp playing Grindelwald, the dynamic between the two stars should be quite fascinating. I'm still not entirely sold on the idea of a Fantastic Beasts series, but quite frankly, I'm always down for more Harry Potter. As far as I can tell, the main players of the original film will be returning, with Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Ezra Miller, Alison Sudol, and Zoe Kravitz all set to reprise their roles. While the film will certainly focus on Dumbledore and Grindelwald, I'm sure that Newt Scamander and Tina Goldstein will find their way into the action somehow.
According to the press release, director David Yates is aiming for a summer shoot with a release date set for November 16, 2018.
Image Credits: IMDB/HBO/WB
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