Fantastic Beasts: All the Details We Could Conjure Up About the Sequel
July 5, 2017 by KELSIE GIBSON
First Published: November 2, 2016



If you're still happily dissecting Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, we don't blame you, but there is even more magic in store. Not only do we have four more installments to look forward to, but we already have quite a few tidbits about the upcoming sequel. If you're just as obsessed with the franchise as we are, check out every detail we've managed to gather below.

What It's About

According to a statement from Warner Bros., the second film "moves deeper into an increasingly dark time for the wizarding world, where Newt and our other heroes have to decide on their allegiances." In April, Rowling told fans that Newt's patronus is a "big spoiler," and by July, a few crucial plot details had been released. The sequel will reportedly open in 1927, a few months after Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and Tina (Katherine Waterston) helped imprison Gellert Grindewald (Johnny Depp). The dark wizard has escaped into the city and amassed a dark army, so it's up to Newt and Grindewald's former friend, Albus Dumbledore, to stop him.

The Timeline

After the release of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, J.K. Rowling tweeted out a very important clarification about the timeline of the movies:


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J.K. Rowling
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@jk_rowling
Our story starts in 1926 and ends in 1945. It's just too big to fit in one movie! https://twitter.com/kurtgaming1/status/ ... 5391908864 …
3:30 AM - Nov 21, 2016
286 286 Replies 3,631 3,631 Retweets 10,817 10,817 likes
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The sequel picks up in 1927, but we're already looking forward to what happens in 1945, which happens to be a critical year for the Wizarding world. It's then that Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindlewald have their infamous duel, and it would be shocking if we didn't get to see this huge piece of the puzzle in the final film of the series. Coincidentally, 1945 is also the year Tom Riddle begins his rise to power as Lord Voldemort, so there's a lot of ground to cover.

Adding to all of this is the fact the studio recently held an open casting call for actors between the ages of 13 and 16 to play young incarnations of Newt Scamander, Leta Lestrange, and a mysterious character named Sebastian. They're also looking for older teenage actors (between 16 and 18 years old) for young Gellert Grindelwald and Albus Dumbledore.

The Production Team

After working on the first film together, David Yates will direct again with J.K. Rowling writing the screenplay. David Heyman, Rowling, Steve Kloves, and Lionel Wigram will also return as producers, and Rowling's agent Neil Blair, Rick Senat, and Danny Cohen will work as executive producers.

The Cast

Eddie Redmayne will return as Newt Scamander, and Johnny Depp is now in a costarring role. Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, and Katherine Waterston are reprising their characters from the first film, but the biggest news is that Jude Law is playing young Dumbledore! A young actor named Callum Turner has also joined as Newt's brother, joining a handful of other exciting actors in new roles.

The Release Date

The second installment is set to be released on Nov. 16, 2018.

Image Source: Warner Bros.