Fantastic Beasts producer on why Jude Law was chosen as Dumbledore

Yesterday, Warner Bros. revealed the official title for the FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM sequel, as well as giving us our first look at the cast of the upcoming film, which includes Jude Law as Albus Dumbledore, who at this point in time was serving as Professor of Transfiguration at Hogwarts. FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD will find Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) teaming up with his former teacher in order to hunt down the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp), and executive producer David Heyman spoke with Entertainment Weekly about why Jude Law was the right person for the role.

One of the reasons we chose Jude is he has many of the qualities we find in Dumbledore in the Potter films. He’s got authority, he’s got a twinkle in his eye, he’s sometimes a bit elliptical. So you have that but also have this youthful energy and jubilance. So he brings that twinkle, mischief, authority, and power, but at the same time brings far more youthful energy to the film. You understand why he would be your favorite teacher and be someone you believe is an extraordinary wizard.

It will be interesting to see just how different Dumbledore will be as a younger man, particularly when it comes to dealing with his former friend, Grindelwald.

FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD will open in 1927, a few months after the events of the first film in which Newt Scamander helped to capture the infamous dark wizard Grindelwald (Johnny Depp), and, as he promised he would, Grindelwald has made a dramatic escape and has been gathering more followers to his cause — elevating wizards above all non-magical beings. The only one who might be able to stop him is the wizard he once called his dearest friend, Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law). But Dumbledore will need help from the wizard who had thwarted Grindelwald once before, his former student Newt Scamander. The adventure reunites Newt with Tina (Katherine Waterston), Queenie (Alison Sudol) and Jacob (Dan Fogler), but his mission will also test their loyalties as they face new perils in an increasingly dangerous and divided wizarding world.

FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD will hit theaters on November 16, 2018.