I was caught off guard by the title for a few reasons. First, just from an aesthetic standpoint I think “Fantastic Beasts” is too small, and “Crimes of Grindelwald” sticks out as the most important part, which may be because that title seemingly has little to do with magical creatures. Is Newt Scamander’s work with them going to factor into the plot of this movie at all? I assumed, wrongly it seems, that once we knew where to find them we were going to learn something else about the beasts of the Wizarding world. This title suggests that that may be taking a back seat to one of the villains from the first film. That brings me to the second thing that I thought was odd, which is putting the name of a character that we hardly know in the title of the movie. Harry Potter fans are already familiar with Gellert Grindelwald, but even then all we know about him is that he was an evil wizard that Dumbledore was once very close to, but then had to defeat in a duel.
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.
Perhaps Grindelwald is going to try to use a magical creature to carry out his plans- similarly to Voldemort trying to get Dementors and Giants on his side- and that’s the reason Dumbledore turns to Newt for help. Time will tell, but right now we can get a good look at everybody!
Newt and Tina
I love Tina’s new hair. The sleek bob and bangs suit her so well, and she looks like a flapper in a noir film. Get it, girl. “Hey Newt, I know we haven’t seen each other in a bit, so in case you forgot about me HERE I AM.”
Newt’s look seems relatively unchanged, which is perfect. Why would it? He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who keeps his finger on the pulse of the latest fashion trends, he’s too busy out in the field. His harried professor look is a big part of his appeal.
Dumbledore
I think Jude Law looks remarkably similar to Michael Gambon’s Dumbledore, and seeing him here only increases my excitement about his casting. It’s a difficult task to step into the shoes of such a beloved character—he’s the one we’re most familiar with in this series so far— but I can already tell that I’m going to shed tears when I see him in the first trailer.
Theseus and Leta
We got the very briefest glimpse of Zoe Kravitz as Leta Lestrange in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and learned that she and Newt had a bit of a falling out after previously being very close. Well…now we know why. She’s engaged to his war hero older brother Theseus, Head of the Auror Office at the Ministry. Oof, poor Newt.
Credence and Maledictus
I didn’t think that Credence’s return was going to be advertised quite so openly, so I was surprised to see him in the first official image. The girl with him is a new character: she carries a blood curse that will ultimately turn her into…a beast! Ding ding ding! There we go, finally a concrete to magical creatures.
Jacob and Queenie
These two were adorable and one of my favorite parts of the first film. There’s nothing specific yet about what they’ll be doing in The Crimes of Grindelwald, but from the way they’re positioned in this photo it seems that their romantic relationship is going to continue to evolve.
Grindelwald
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that there are many fans who are upset about Johnny Depp, who’s been accused of domestic violence by his ex-wife Amber Heard, being in these movies. With the news that Kevin Spacey is being replaced by Christopher Plummer in the upcoming All the Money in the World, some have argued that if a movie like that can completely replace an actor in such a short amount of time then a huge movie with a release date over a year away can surely do it too. I’m going to be cynical, but realistic, when I say that they won’t do that because they don’t really need to. I have yet to see a great many diehard Harry Potter fans declare that they’re not going to see any more of these movies as long as Johnny Depp is in them. Their love for the series is enough to get them to the theater regardless of how much they wish anyone else was playing Grindelwald. Last summer’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, which Johnny Depp was the lead actor in, made over $750 million worldwide. Warner Brothers clearly doesn’t think that they’re going to take a financial hit, so that’s that. It’s an unfortunate blight on a series that means so much to so many people.
