Audiences were introduced to a whole different world of magic in J.K. Rowling and David Yates'
Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them last weekend. The introverted Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and his case of magical creatures thrilled at the box office and opened up a whole new side to the world of
Harry Potter.
Warning: SPOILERS AHEAD
The surprise revelation of the film was that American Auror Percival Graves (Colin Farrell) was actually a disguise for the evil
Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp). As Harry Potter fans know, the dark Wizard has a very important role in the backstory of Hogwarts Headmaster
Albus Dumbledore, who has been confirmed to appear in the upcoming sequels. As it turns out, the tale of the two Wizards is set to become the story's focus, with Newt taking a step back.
I don't think [Newt will be at] the heart of all of them," producer David Heyman told Cinema Blend.
"I think he'll be part -- so will Tina, Queenie and Jacob -- will be part of the next one." When asked who the focus would shift to instead, Heyman replied with
"[Dumbledore] and Credence and Grindelwald. I think they will be the main players."
The inclusion of Credence (Ezra Miller) is interesting, as the final act of the film supposedly saw the character meet his demise. However, according to Heyman, there was a scene removed from the final cut that showed Credence to be very much alive.
"We actually had a scene, which we cut, which was Credence going to a boat, to get on a boat somewhere else. But we cut that, because we didn't want to have it be such an, 'Ahhh, here we go.'"
Are you excited to see the young Dumbledore and Grindelwald square off in future sequels, or would you have preferred Newt as the series lead? Let us know in the comments!
There are growing dangers in the wizarding world of 1926 New York. Something mysterious is leaving a path of destruction in the streets, threatening to expose the wizarding community to the Second Salemers, a fanatical faction of No-Majs (American for Muggles) bent on eradicating them. And the powerful, dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald, after wreaking havoc in Europe, has slipped away…and is now nowhere to be found.
Unaware of the rising tensions, Newt Scamander arrives in the city nearing the end of a global excursion to research and rescue magical creatures, some of which are safeguarded in the hidden dimensions of his deceptively nondescript leather case. But potential disaster strikes when unsuspecting No-Maj Jacob Kowalski inadvertently lets some of Newt’s beasts loose in a city already on edge—a serious breach of the Statute of Secrecy that former Auror Tina Goldstein jumps on, seeing her chance to regain her post. However, things take an ominous turn when Percival Graves, the enigmatic Director of Magical Security at MACUSA (Magical Congress of the USA), casts his suspicions on both Newt…and Tina.
Now allied, Newt and Tina, together with Tina’s sister, Queenie, and their new No-Maj friend, Jacob, form a band of unlikely heroes, who must recover Newt’s missing beasts before they come to harm. But the stakes are higher than these four outsiders—now branded fugitives—ever imagined, as their mission puts them on a collision course with dark forces that could push the wizarding and No-Maj worlds to the brink of war.