Here’s Our First Look at Jude Law as Dumbledore in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Why hello there, young Dumbledore. Warner Bros. has released a gorgeous picture of the second Fantastic Beasts‘ cast, plus lots of tasty plot details—and a title.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was a gem of a movie with a compelling cast of characters, and I am absolutely thrilled to see them reunited here (and some intriguing new additions). Set in JK Rowling’s Wizarding world in the New York City of the roaring ’20s, the series is darker and sexier than Harry Potter’s milieu, while also providing fun for the kids in the form of magical zoologist (“magizoologist”) Newt Scamander’s exotic bestiary. I loved the first movie and have been tracking information on its follow-up; today’s info drop is quite the gift, delivered by owl.

The coolest sighting here is Jude Law revealed in full costume as a young Albus Dumbledore. The elderly, Merlin-like Dumbledore played a huge role in Harry Potter as Harry’s mentor and protector, a kindly figure with twinkling eyes, long snowy beard—and an unexpectedly dark history (not to mention some extremely problematic decisions when it came to Harry). Law’s casting was welcomed by fans, as he’s an actor capable of equal parts charm and menace: quite perfect for Dumbledore, especially in his earlier years.

It’s implied in the books that Dumbledore’s judgment was briefly clouded by his affection for the wizard Grindelwald—with dire consequences considering Grindelwald’s turn to the darkest of dark sides. After the final Harry Potter book came out, JK Rowling stated that she “always thought of Dumbledore as gay”: “Dumbledore fell in love with Grindelwald, and that added to his horror when Grindelwald showed himself to be what he was.” The most powerful “good” wizard had been betrayed by his feelings where Grindelwald was concerned. Or as Dumbledore himself put it:

“Two clever, arrogant boys with a shared obsession,” he recalls, resulted in “two months of insanity.”

By the time of Fantastic Beasts 2‘s events, both Dumbledore and Grindelwald are no longer youthful, but many of us are anxious to see how the film will treat their shared history. Rowling has implied that the new movies will more openly explore Dumbledore’s sexuality, per Time:

“I can’t tell you everything I would like to say because this is obviously a five-part story so there’s lots to unpack in that relationship,” she said. “You will see Dumbledore as a younger man and quite a troubled man — he wasn’t always the sage…We’ll see him at that formative period of his life.”

She went on to hint that Dumbledore will be openly gay in the series. “As far as his sexuality is concerned,” she said, pausing for a moment. “Watch this space.”

This would be an excellent development for the Wizarding world, which has long included motifs of LGBTQIA repression (Professor Remus Lupin, and Fantastic Beasts’ Credence in the first film), but never played those themes openly.

I think we can all agree that Law looks, erm, fantastic, affecting a serious, furrowed-brow pose and clad in a stylish blue velvet robe. Now that I’ve seen him in costume, it’s impossible for me to picture any other actor as throwback Albus.

There’s a whole lot going on here beyond Dumbledore. Warner Bros. provided plot and character descriptions that flesh out what we’re going to see, and also introduces the characters that are joining Newt’s world. Here’s what we’re in for plot-wise:

At the end of the first film, the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Depp) was captured by MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America), with the help of Newt Scamander (Redmayne). But, making good on his threat, Grindelwald escaped custody and has set about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings. In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans, Albus Dumbledore (Law) enlists his former student Newt Scamander, who agrees to help, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.

Yessss. And here’s who’ll be along as friends, family, and dangers to be battled with wands and beasts:

Jude Law plays a young ALBUS DUMBLEDORE, taking on the mantle of one of J.K. Rowling’s most beloved characters; Ezra Miller makes a return as the enigmatic CREDENCE, whose fate was unknown at the end of the first film; Claudia Kim appears as a Maledictus, the carrier of a blood curse that destines her ultimately to transform into a beast; Zoe Kravitz plays LETA LESTRANGE, who had once been close to Newt Scamander but is now engaged to his brother; Callum Turner joins the cast as Newt’s older brother, THESEUS SCAMANDER, a celebrated war hero and the Head of the Auror Office at the British Ministry of Magic; Katherine Waterston returns as TINA GOLDSTEIN, who has been reinstated as an Auror for MACUSA; Eddie Redmayne stars again as wizarding world Magizoologist NEWT SCAMANDER, who has now gained fame in the wizarding world as the author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them; Dan Fogler reprises the role of the only No-Maj in the group, JACOB KOWALSKI; Alison Sudol reprises the part of Tina’s free-spirited sister, QUEENIE GOLDSTEIN, a Legilimens who can read minds; and Johnny Depp returns as the powerful Dark wizard GELLERT GRINDELWALD.

I’m hugely excited by the inclusion of Ezra Miller’s full-of-conflict Credence—we’d assumed that he’d make a return, but this is the first official confirmation—and thrilled to see Zoe Kravitz as Leta Lestrange (a relative of Bellatrix’s—so we might assume she has some dark arts in her as well). I’m also super-intrigued by the fact that Newt’s beloved Leta is now engaged to his brother—what man named Theseus won’t be a mixed bundle of heroism and pathos—and Claudia Kim’s new character Maledictus sounds like my favorite blend of angst and badassery. And of course, our original dynamic quartet of Newt, Tina, Jacob and Queenie will be a joy to see onscreen together again.

Oh yeah, Johnny Depp is there as Grindelwald with a bad spiky bleached haircut. May he answer for his crimes.

(via Entertainment Weekly, image: Warner Bros.)

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Kaila Hale-Stern

Kaila Hale-Stern (she/her) is a content director, editor, and writer who has been working in digital media for more than fifteen years. She started at TMS in 2016. She loves to write about TV—especially science fiction, fantasy, and mystery shows—and movies, with an emphasis on Marvel. Talk to her about fandom, queer representation, and Captain Kirk. Kaila has written for io9, Gizmodo, New York Magazine, The Awl, Wired, Cosmopolitan, and once published a Harlequin novel you'll never find.

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