Get your wands ready! The first trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, the second of the series, debuted on Tuesday, March 13, and it was magical to say the least. The video begins at Hogwarts, of course, featuring a young Albus Dumbledore — played by Jude Law.
Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) starts off in Paris — whether or not he’s there doing work for Dumbledore is still up the air. The video provides a quick glimpse of Zoe Kravitz as Leta Lestrange and Johnny Depp as Gallert Grindelwald. Clearly, Scamander isn’t aware of the dangers ahead as he’s going up against Grindelwald, something Dumbledore cannot do. “Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world,” the official synopsis reads.
The film’s casting of Depp, 54, created quite the controversy, following the domestic abuse accusations made against the actor by his ex-wife Amber Heard.
“When Johnny Depp was cast as Grindelwald, I thought he’d be wonderful in the role. However, around the time of filming his cameo in the first movie, stories had appeared in the press that deeply concerned me and everyone most closely involved in the franchise,” author J.K. Rowling said in a statement in December. “Harry Potter fans had legitimate questions and concerns about our choice to continue with Johnny Depp in the role. As David Yates, long-time Potter director, has already said, we naturally considered the possibility of recasting. I understand why some have been confused and angry about why that didn’t happen.”
She continued: “The huge, mutually supportive community that has grown up around Harry Potter is one of the greatest joys of my life. For me personally, the inability to speak openly to fans about this issue has been difficult, frustrating and at times painful. However, the agreements that have been put in place to protect the privacy of two people, both of whom have expressed a desire to get on with their lives, must be respected. Based on our understanding of the circumstances, the filmmakers and I are not only comfortable sticking with our original casting, but genuinely happy to have Johnny playing a major character in the movies.”
The Fantastic Beasts series is a sequel to Harry Potter and stars Katherine Waterston, Ezra Miller and Alison Sudol. The first of the series, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them hit theaters in 2016.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald hits theaters Friday, November 16.
