There’s a Battle Ahead in the New Trailer for ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’
Jude Law’s Dumbledore is going head-to-head with Mads Mikkelsen’s Grindelwald – with Newt and the gang in between.
(L-R) Jessica Williams, Callum Turner, Jude Law, Fionna Glascott, Dan Fogler and Eddie Redmayne in Warner Bros. Pictures' fantasy adventure 'Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Jaap Buitendijk. Copyright: © 2021 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Like its protagonists, the third outing for the ‘Fantastic Beasts’ franchise has a bit of a battle on its hands. With diminishing box office returns from the second entry, ‘The Crimes of Grindelwald’, and a more specific feeling that this latest trip to the Wizarding World has yet to quite capture the magic of the ‘Harry Potter’ movies, the pressure is on to deliver.
That’s something that the new trailer for the latest movie, ‘The Secrets of Dumbledore’ is looking to ease, promising an epic clash between good and evil – albeit with shades of gray in between. As the title suggests, the focus here has shifted towards Jude Law’s Albus Dumbledore, who has been unwilling to join the fight in a real way so far.
He knows the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) is moving to seize control of the wizarding world. Unable to stop him alone, he entrusts Magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) to lead an intrepid team of wizards, witches and one brave Muggle baker on a dangerous mission, where they encounter old and new beasts and clash with Grindelwald’s growing legion of followers. But with the stakes so high, how long can Dumbledore remain on the sidelines?
Yet while it could be easy to assume this is the franchise pivoting completely away from Newt and the rest, the latest look at the movie puts to rest that idea – the Magizoologist is certainly part of the fight here, even if he’s not in the promo as much as, say, Dan Fogelman’s Jacob Kowalski, the aforementioned muggle baker. Just when he thought he was out, the Wizarding World is drawing him back in, and this time he has a wand to use. Which of course could lead to trouble.
Making the ‘Fantastic Beasts’ movies feel more like the Potter saga is probably a wise move at this point, and ‘The Secrets of Dumbledore’ is aiming to blend the high stakes battle that fans have been craving with the usual assortments of magical creatures that is Newt’s more normal focus.
David Yates is once more directing, but the real news behind the scenes here is the presence of Potter veteran Steve Kloves, who wrote all of the seven original films. While J.K. Rowling crafted the screenplay for the first two ‘Beasts’, they weren’t exactly praised for their sparkling dialogue or pacey feel, while the plotting was judged to be convoluted.
Mikkelsen, brought in to replace Johnny Depp, knows how to play layered villains, and the idea of him going head-to-head with Law, especially given what we know about their characters, is certainly something to anticipate.
The cast also includes the returning likes of Ezra Miller, Alison Sudol, William Nadylam, Callum Turner, Jessica Williams, and Katherine Waterston, who remains mysteriously absent in the trailers so far, causing some fans to wonder if she’s left the franchise.
‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’ will look to cast its spell over theaters from April 18.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
