Fantastic Beasts only arrived in theaters last week (you can read our review here), but plans are already in motion for four further installments of the series. David Heyman, who produced Fantastic Beasts and all eight Harry Potter films, recently revealed that Eddie Redmayne’s character won’t be the main focus of future installments of the spinoff series.
Warning: the remainder of this article will contain spoilers for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
In a recent interview with Cinema Blend, Heyman claims the series will focus on characters other than Newt Scamander. Heyman told Cinema Blend, “I don't think [Newt will be at] the heart of all of them. I think he'll be part -- so will Tina, Queenie and Jacob -- will be part of the next one.”
Instead, it seems more likely future games in the series will center around Johnny Depp’s Gellert Grindelwald and Ezra Miller’s Credence Barebone (whose fate is left ambiguous at the end of Fantastic Beasts). When asked if Dumbledore would appear in future installments of the Fantastic Beasts series, Heyman confirmed recent reports, adding that Dumbledore would be one of “main players” along with “Grindelwald and Credence.”
At this point, it’s not clear who will play “young Dumbledore” (it’s worth noting the character, like Depp’s Grindelwald, would be in his mid-forties, so we’re not talking a teen hearthrob). Intriguingly, Vanity Fair makes a case for Ewan McGregor, who they see as having “ already made a habit of playing some of film’s most insistent optimists: Christian in Moulin Rouge, a young Ed Bloom in Big Fish, Obi-Wan Kenobi before the world—and Anakin Skywalker—turned dark. Dumbledore, who always saw the best in the magical world’s rejects, would fit in splendidly among this company.” However, as we pointed out earlier this month, Mad Men actor Jared Harris (and son of original Dumbledore Richard Harris) is currently the favorite for the part.
Are you excited to see the focus shift to other characters in the sequels to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? Are there any actors you’d like to see play young(er) Dumbledore? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
