10 Reasons Why “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” Will Enchant You!

• 10 Reasons Why “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” Will Enchant You!
• “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” is now showing in cinemas nationwide.

Warner Bros. Pictures brings us back into J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World^™ in “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” . The film is the second of five all new adventures in the Wizarding World^™ created by J.K. Rowling and continues the events of the first film. After the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) was captured by MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America), with the help of Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), he escapes 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 (Jude Law) enlists Newt, his former student, 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.

We counted down the Top 10 Reasons Why “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” Will Enchant You!

10. It’s all star cast will truly entrance you.

“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” features an ensemble cast led by Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne (“The Theory of Everything”), Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Zoë Kravitz, Callum Turner, Claudia Kim, William Nadylam, Kevin Guthrie, Poppy Corby-Tuech, and Brontis Jodorowsky, with two-time Oscar nominee Jude Law (“Cold Mountain,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley”) and three-time Oscar nominee Johnny Depp (“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” “Finding Neverland,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl”).

9. The creative minds from the first “Fantastic Beasts” returns!

The film reunited director David Yates, screenwriter/producer J.K. Rowling, and producers David Heyman, Steve Kloves and Lionel Wigram, all of whom had collaborated on “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.”Tim Lewis, Neil Blair, Rick Senat and Danny Cohen served as executive producers.

8. J.K. Rowling revisits Dumbledore.

Screenwriter and producer J.K. Rowling explains that, ““Within the ‘Fantastic Beasts’ franchise, I am telling a story that is only hinted at in the Harry Potter books—the rise of Grindelwald, who profoundly threatened both the wizarding and non-wizarding worlds, and his antagonist, Dumbledore, who, of course, is a key figure in the Potter stories.  Grindelwald is first mentioned in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, so he was there from the beginning though he was more of a mysterious background character.  You know he must have been important to figure so prominently in Dumbledore’s own history, but it is only when you reach the end of the Potter series that you find out just how important he was…and you might also intuit that there must be much more to tell.  I think this was the story I was most interested in revisiting because it’s so crucial to understanding Dumbledore, who is my favorite character.”

7. A new challenge for director David Yates .

At the helm of his sixth Wizarding World adventure, director David Yates recalls, “When Jo [Rowling] sent me the new script, my first impression was how different it felt to the first film we had made. This story is more layered and more intricate, with new character strands developing, and it’s also a lot darker.  But what really blew me away was how she created this feeling of an emotional thriller, with twists and turns I never saw coming.  Jo is constantly evolving the universe she’s built and, for me as a filmmaker, that makes coming back inspiring and always challenging.”

6. The return to Hogwarts.

The return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was an unadulterated thrill for cast, filmmakers and crew alike. Supervising art director Martin Foley says, “Hogwarts is hundreds of years old, and nothing’s changed.  That highlights the feeling of familiarity; you know where you are the moment you see it.”

Jude Law says that the experience of stepping into the classroom as Dumbledore went beyond just acting.  “The children in those scenes were so excited to be there, and I shared their excitement.  My parents are both teachers, so I really enjoyed being a teacher for the day.  Like everyone else, I’ve seen those classes in that schoolroom onscreen, so suddenly to be in that position was extraordinary.  Sometimes acting is slightly out-of-body—you’re there in the moment, but later, when you look back on it, you realize how special it was.”

5. A lot of things have happened.

Much has transpired since Magizoologist Newt Scamander departed New York for London, leaving a hopeful Tina Goldstein on the dock, and since Queenie Goldstein entered the bustling bakery owned by No-Maj Jacob Kowalski, who—despite having his memories obliviated—seems to show a somewhat bemused spark of recognition.In the months that have passed, Newt completed his book, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which has become a bestseller.  Queenie and Jacob have begun a furtive romance in violation of the American wizarding world laws forbidding it.  And their relationship has caused a rift between Queenie and her sister, Tina, who, having been reinstated to MACUSA’s Auror ranks, is responsible for enforcing those laws.

4. The whole gang is back.

Rejoining Redmayne as the original quartet are Katherine Waterston as Tina, Dan Fogler as Jacob, and Alison Sudol as Queenie.  Waterston comments, “When we met these characters, they were all struggling to come into their own, but hadn’t quite gotten there yet.  I found it was very compelling to explore how the important relationships in our lives push us, enlighten us, and help us grow.  And J.K. Rowling has brilliantly weaved that idea—of the power of friendship—throughout this continuing, ever-expanding story.”

3. Ezra Miller returns Credence.

Played by Ezra Miller, Credence was revealed in the last film to be an Obscurial—a born wizard whose powers were suppressed to the point of becoming an Obscurus, a parasitical force deadly to its host, usually at a very young age. Credence’s search for his identity directly or indirectly affects almost every other character in the film.

Miller adds, “As she’s done at every stage, beginning with Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling has taken the story to a new level of intrigue.  She’s delving even deeper into ideas that permeate all of her works—about the magic that exists in the connections between people, and people trying to find each other…and themselves.”

2. Eddie Redmayne is back as Newt.

Reprising the role of Newt, Eddie Redmayne notes, “For the first movie, J.K. Rowling created four unique characters, all of whom were outsiders and struggling in their own way.  It is only through the connections they develop with each other—through that symbiosis—that they thrive and find happiness and even love.  But in the interim, through miscommunication and circumstance, things have shifted.”

He added, “What I love about Newt is that he’s true to himself and not trying to please anyone else. His passion for creatures is uniquely his own, and he refuses to bow to other people’s notions of what normal should be.  Newt has always taken his own route through life and though he can be empathetic, he doesn’t want to be pulled to anyone’s side.  But because of what’s happening in the world and because the stakes are becoming so much higher, there may come a moment when he will have to choose a side.  And that’s part of his journey.”

1. Jude Law and Johnny Depp  as Dumbledore and Grindelwald.

Taking on the role of the beloved character, Jude Law is quick to clarify, “This is the Dumbledore who is not yet the great Headmaster at Hogwarts.  He is closer to the formative, and more traumatic,experiences in his life that perhaps color him.  What was especially interesting for me—and for us as a team—was to try and layer in foundation points that keep him closely related to the Dumbledore we know, but with room to grow and learn and to make mistakes.  And the stories we’re telling will show the evolution of the character.”

Johnny Depp, who returns as Grindelwald, adds, “There is a rhythm to the way Grindelwald speaks, a cadence, that draws you in.  Ultimately, what I felt about the character in terms of his presence is that it would be an exercise in stillness.  I mean, his words are important, but what’s even more important with Grindelwald is the subtext of those words.  It is the dialogue that’s silent—the meaning between the lines.  It’s almost hypnotic.”

“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” is now showing in cinemas nationwide.