With an evocative subtitle like The Crimes of Grindelwald, it’s clear that Warner’s second Harry Potter prequel is gunning to immerse viewers in a thrilling saga of dark wizards, young prodigies, and a newly-published magizoologist in Newt Scamander.
And sure enough, during a recent chat with Entertainment Weekly, executive producer David Heyman spilled the beans on Fantastic Beasts 2, and why he believes the 2018 sequel is “richer, deeper, and more thrilling” than its wondrous predecessor.
Set to chronicle the rise and rise of Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp), a malevolent wizard who once had close ties to the young Albus Dumbledore, Fantastic Beasts 2 welcomes all of the first film’s key personnel – director David Yates and screenwriter/franchise mastermind J.K. Rowling included. And Heyman is confident that The Crimes of Grindelwald will be able to avoid the sophomore slump with ease.
We delve deeper into Jo’s wizarding world — we’re in Paris, we’re in London and New York — the world is expanding. As you can tell from the image, we’re following quite a few characters. The new film has a very different feel than the first. It’s got a thriller quality. And it’s also a story about love and passion and all its forms — paternal, romantic, political. And it’s just a thrilling and very fun adventure. We took all we’ve learned from one and just expanded that and created a richer, deeper and more thrilling film which I’m excited to be a part of.
Not only that, but it seems Fantastic Beasts 2 will be a true visual treat, as David Yates’ direction is “more dynamic” and “much more immersive” this time around. At least, that’s according to Heyman:
Cinematically it’s more dynamic. The camera is more alive and much more immersive. It has a more contemporary cinematic approach.
Kicking things off in the 1920s, The Crimes of Grindelwald tees up a potential change of direction, too, after previous reports hinted that another character (Dumbledore, perhaps?) will supplant Eddie Redmayne’s Newt as the core protagonist. But with an additional three films in the pipeline beyond The Crimes of Grindelwald, there is still plenty of magic brewing over at Warner.
Expect Fantastic Beasts 2 to be summoned into theaters in time for November 16th, 2018.
