It doesn’t sound like we will be looking for more Fantastic Beasts in the sequel. Instead, fans will be looking at the crimes of Grindelwald (Johnny Depp). That’s because the official title of the sequel to the Harry Potter prequel is Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.

And to commemorate the title’s announcement, Warner Bros. has released the first official look at the cast, including our first look at Jude Law as Albus Dumbledore. Check out the image below.

In addition to the full look at the cast, a scrolling teaser video that reveals the official title card can also be found below. In it, you’ll see Law as a young 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; 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 Depp returns as the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald.

At the end of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, it is revealed that Grindelwald, who had thought to have been dead, was behind releasing Obscurus to the No-Maj (the American version of a Muggle). But he is stopped by Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), and taken into custody. Still, that evil grin he gave hinted that it wasn’t over for wizards, it was merely the beginning.

Based on the newly released plot synopsis, we have an idea of what his new plan is:

Warner Bros. Pictures announces “FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD” as the title of the second of five all-new adventures in J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding Worldâ„¢. Opening exactly one year from today, November 16, 2018, the film features an ensemble cast led by Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, with Jude Law and Johnny Depp.

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.

“FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD” is being directed by David Yates, from a screenplay by J.K. Rowling, and produced by David Heyman, J.K. Rowling, Steve Kloves and Lionel Wigram.

It’s hard not to forget that Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is the second of five new films when the sequels were announced well before the first Fantastic Beasts‘ release. That announcement told us that they had a lot of confidence in the film, and its success deserved more sequels to explore more of the early days of wizardry.

And they were right. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them grossed approximately $812 million worldwide. So just leaving that world with one film would be a disastrous decision. Now we will get to see even more of the legendary feud between Grindelwald and Dumbledore, and how their battles helped pave the way for the events of the Harry Potter movies.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald opens in theaters on November 16, 2018.

Image

Video

[Source: Warner Bros. YT]