Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is not like the first film. The original movie was a cute little fish-out-of-water adventure where an English wizard accidentally switches cases with a Muggle, and his magical creatures get loose in a society where the wizarding community lives in fear of discovery. The new film is a spy thriller, where sides in the coming war between Grindelwald and Dumbledore have to choose their loyalties. There's an entire set of new characters in Fantastic Beasts 2 to go along with this change of tone as well.
Here's the film's synopsis:
At the end of the first film, the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald was captured by MACUSA with the help of Newt Scamander. 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.
Here's a rundown of the ten new characters fans will meet in the new film.
It's Dumbledore like you've never seen him before! This young, fresh-faced version of the Hogwarts professor is played by Jude Law, who recently revealed his character is so young, he hasn't even started teaching Transfigurations yet. I think fans finally might have an explanation for why he's seen in the DADA classroom in the trailer.
He only appeared for a few minutes in his Depp body guise in the first film, so, like Dumbledore, this is a character like fans haven't seen before. Eddie Redmayne described him recently as "hypnotic." Sounds a bit like another dark wizard in the Potterverse.
Newt's older, suaver, debonaire older brother. Where Newt is awkward, he is friendly. Where Newt hides away with his animals, Theseus chases down bad guys with the Aurors. Where Newt is working for Dumbledore, Theseus is showing up in the trailer to confront him. Can these two opposites find a way to be family?
Leta seemed like a potential girlfriend newt was heading back to England to be with at the end of Fantastic Beasts. But in the characters notes, she's engaged to Theseus, his older brother. Did she throw Newt over? Or was it a matter of attaching herself to the more useful brother?
There are so many theories about Kim's character, especially after the trailer showed a Magic Circus poster with her as a snake. Could she be the future Nagini? For now, she's the best friend of Credence Barebone, and the person he's clinging to in this new city.
Fans haven't seen her yet, but Professor Eulalie "Lally" Hicks is a teacher at Ilvermorny. There's speculation that like Dumbledore, she's a favorite teacher of the Goldstein sisters, and someone they consult with when Grindelwald escapes captivity. She might even be the one to send them to France.
The lead Auror who confronts Dumbledore in the trailer, fans will recognize the last name as one of the "Sacred 28" purebred families. His son will go on to be a death eater, murder Marlene McKinnon in the First Wizarding War and serve time in Azkaban until Voldemort's return.
Likewise, Rosier is another name Potter fans will remember. Her son was one of the earliest death eaters, and his son, Evan Rosier was a contemporary of James Potter at Hogwarts in the 1970s. Also, Druella Rosier is the one who married Cygnus Black III and the mother to Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa.
Laurena Kama is perhaps not the biggest role, but she's listed as "the first wife of Corvus Lestrange and mother of Leta Lestrange." First wife? That's right. His second was Clarisse Tremblay, mother of Credence Barebone. Wonder what Leta will think of her half-brother?
Perhaps one of the most surprising and delightful easter eggs to be part of the second film, Dumbledore's old friend Nicolas, who is much mentioned, but never seen in the original Harry Potter debut novel will turn up in Fantastic Beasts 2.
