Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore | |
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Directed by | David Yates |
Screenplay by | |
Based on | A screenplay by J. K. Rowling |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | George Richmond |
Edited by | Mark Day |
Music by | James Newton Howard |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 142 minutes [1] |
Countries |
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Language | English |
Budget | $200 million [2] |
Box office | $407.2 million [3] |
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is a 2022 fantasy film directed by David Yates from a screenplay by J. K. Rowling and Steve Kloves, based on a screenplay by Rowling. The sequel to Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018), it is the third instalment in the Fantastic Beasts film series and the eleventh overall in the Wizarding World franchise. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Callum Turner, Jessica Williams, Katherine Waterston, and Mads Mikkelsen. Set several years after the events of its predecessor, the film sees Albus Dumbledore tasking Newt Scamander and his allies with a mission that takes them into the heart of dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald's army.
The film was slated for release in November 2020, before it was pushed back to July 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Much of the main cast from the first two films confirmed their involvement in March 2020. Principal photography was set to begin in early 2020, [4] but was postponed due to the pandemic, [5] eventually commencing in September 2020. [6] Johnny Depp, who portrayed Grindelwald in previous films, was originally set to return and filmed one scene for the film, but was asked to resign in November 2020 following the verdict of the Depp v News Group Newspapers Ltd court case; Mads Mikkelsen replaced him later that month. Filming took place until February 2021.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore premiered at the Royal Festival Hall in London on 29 March 2022, and was released in the United Kingdom on 8 April 2022 and in the United States on 15 April, by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed over $407 million worldwide, making it the lowest-grossing film in the Wizarding World franchise.
Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald briefly meet in a Muggle teashop, where they acknowledge their mutual feelings. Grindelwald vows to destroy the Muggle world, but Dumbledore denounces the plan as madness, saying he only supported it because he was in love with Grindelwald.
In Kweilin, China, 1932, [7] Newt Scamander helps a Qilin — a magical creature that can see into one's soul as well as the future — give birth. Grindelwald's acolytes, led by Credence, attack and kill the mother, then kidnap the newborn. Grindelwald kills the creature, intending to harness its ability of precognition. Unbeknownst to them, the Qilin had twins, the younger of which Newt saved.
Unable to battle Grindelwald due to a blood pact they formed, Albus Dumbledore recruits Newt and his brother Theseus, Ilvermorny Charms teacher Lally Hicks, Senegalese-French wizard Yusuf Kama, American No-Maj Jacob Kowalski, and Newt's assistant Bunty to thwart Grindelwald's plan for world domination. They travel to Berlin, where Yusuf is planted as a spy in Grindelwald's inner circle. Grindelwald has his convert, Queenie Goldstein, use legilimency to test Yusuf's trustworthiness. The International Confederation of Wizards (ICW) acquits Grindelwald of all previous criminal charges, allowing him to run in the elections for Supreme Leader of the ICW, despite Dumbledore's attempts to persuade the outgoing leader Anton Vogel into doing otherwise.
Meanwhile, Grindelwald's acolytes, who have undermined the German Ministry of Magic, arrest Theseus and plot to assassinate the Brazilian candidate, Vicência Santos. Dumbledore dispatches Newt to the Erkstag, the secret German wizarding prison where Theseus is held. Lally and Jacob escape after successfully preventing the assassination, but Jacob is framed for attempting to murder Grindelwald, who then justifies suppressing all Muggles. Meanwhile, Credence battles Dumbledore, who quickly defeats him. Credence learns he is the illegitimate son of Aberforth Dumbledore, Albus' brother, and questions his loyalty to Grindelwald. Elsewhere, Newt and Theseus escape the Erkstag and use a Portkey to transport to Hogwarts.
Wizarding world leaders gather in Bhutan for the Walk of the Qilin ritual and election of a new Supreme Leader, at which a Qilin will judge who (if any) of the candidates is pure of heart, after which the witches and wizards around the world will cast their votes. Using necromancy, Grindelwald reanimates the dead Qilin and, knowing Dumbledore and Newt will bring the surviving twin Qilin to the ritual, gives Credence a last chance to redeem himself. To thwart Grindelwald's cohorts, each ally of Dumbledore carries an identical suitcase, with only one containing the Qilin.
The team arrive in Bhutan and are immediately confronted by Grindelwald's acolytes. Queenie renounces Grindelwald and reunites with Jacob, but they are caught. The manipulated dead Qilin bows to Grindelwald during the Supreme Leader selection ceremony, and he is subsequently elected. He immediately declares war on all Muggles and tortures Jacob with the Cruciatus curse until Santos intervenes. Credence, Newt, and Bunty expose Grindelwald by revealing that the Qilin is dead, and his win is voided so a new, fair election can occur. Bunty, who has the real suitcase, produces the surviving Qilin, which passes by Grindelwald and Vogel and bows to Dumbledore. Shocked, Dumbledore thanks the Qilin for the honor but convinces it that there is another equally worthy. The Qilin goes on to bow to Santos, who is then elected as the new Supreme Leader. Enraged, Grindelwald tries to kill Credence, who is simultaneously protected by Aberforth and Albus. Dumbledore's and Grindelwald's clashing spells break the blood pact. Their ensuing battle reaches a stalemate, and Grindelwald disapparates.
In the aftermath, Aberforth accepts the ailing Credence as his son and takes him home. Jacob and Queenie marry at Jacob's bakery, with most of the team and Tina Goldstein in attendance. Newt spots Dumbledore watching from across the street. Dumbledore thanks Newt before disappearing into the night.
Other cast members include Richard Coyle as Aberforth Dumbledore, Albus Dumbledore's younger brother, owner of the Hog's Head inn, and Credence's biological father; Oliver Masucci as Anton Vogel, the outgoing Supreme Leader of the International Confederation of Wizards (ICW) and Minister of Magic for Germany; Maria Fernanda Cândido as Vicência Santos and Dave Wong as Liu Tao, both candidates for the post of Supreme Leader of the ICW; Aleksandr Kuznetsov as Helmut, an Auror of the German Ministry of Magic; [14] and Valerie Pachner as Henrietta Fischer, secretary for the German Minister of Magic. [15]
In October 2014, Warner Bros. Pictures announced the film as "at least" a trilogy with the third instalment to be released on 20 November 2020. [16] [17] In July 2016, director David Yates confirmed that J. K. Rowling had ideas for the third film's screenplay. [18] In October 2016, it was reported that the Fantastic Beasts film series would comprise five films, and Eddie Redmayne would be returning to all films to play the lead role of Newt Scamander, with producers Rowling, David Heyman, Steve Kloves, and Lionel Wigram. [19] In November 2016, Yates revealed that he would be directing all five films, stating "I love making films, and I've got a great team, all of whom are like family." [20]
In October 2018, Johnny Depp hinted that he might return to portray Gellert Grindelwald for the third film, which would start filming in mid-2019. [21]
On 7 February 2019, it was revealed the film would be set in the 1930s, with the story leading up to the Wizarding World's involvement in World War II and exploring the magical communities in Bhutan, Germany and China in addition to previously established locations including the United States and United Kingdom. [22] [23] In November 2019, Warner Bros. put out a press release announcing the film's location of Brazil, a spring 2020 start of production, and that Steve Kloves, who had previously served as screenwriter on the Harry Potter films, had joined the project as co-writer. [24] [25]
In March 2020, Jude Law, Johnny Depp, Ezra Miller, Alison Sudol, Dan Fogler, Callum Turner, Katherine Waterston, Claudia Kim [26] and Jessica Williams were revealed to be reprising their roles from previous films, alongside Eddie Redmayne. [27] Kevin Guthrie, who played Abernathy in the first two instalments, was set to return but was fired before production began due to his trial and eventual conviction in a sexual assault case. [28] [29] In November 2020, Depp announced he would not reprise his role as Grindelwald after being asked by Warner Bros. to resign due to negative publicity resulting from the libel case Depp v News Group Newspapers Ltd . [30] Depp shot only three scenes in London after production began in September 2020, and his contract stipulated that he be paid regardless of whether the film was completed or not. [31] Depp's salary was reportedly somewhere between $10–16 million. [32] On 25 November, Warner Bros. announced that Mads Mikkelsen would replace Depp in the role of Grindelwald. [9] [33] [34] Mikkelsen opted not to emulate Depp's performance, stating in an interview that it would be "creative suicide", but acknowledged that there still needed to be "some sort of bridge between what came before." [35]
Principal photography was scheduled to begin on 16 March 2020 but was postponed on that very day due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [27] Filming officially commenced in London on 20 September, [36] with safety precautions in place to keep the cast and crew safe from COVID-19. [6] On 3 February 2021, filming at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden in the UK was halted after a crew member tested positive for COVID-19. [37] [38] [39] Composer James Newton Howard confirmed later that month that production had wrapped filming. [40] Although the film is partially set in Berlin and Bhutan, it was not filmed on location. These areas were reimagined and reconstructed on the vast backlot and sound stages of Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, augmented by visual effects, led by production VFX supervisor Christian Manz. [41] [42]
Composer James Newton Howard returned to compose the film's score after previously scoring Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film) and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald , whilst also incorporating John Williams's themes from the Harry Potter films into the score.
The film marketing campaign began in September 2021, the same day the title was announced as Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. [43] On 10 December 2021, a sizzle reel promo was released by Warner Bros. Pictures to celebrate the Wizarding World's twentieth anniversary, showing clips from previous films and events of the franchise and ending with a quick teaser for the film, while also announcing that a full trailer would be released the following Monday. [44] The film's official trailer was officially released on 13 December 2021, with a teaser poster being released the following week. [45] [46] On 22 February 2022, 18 posters featuring characters from the film were released online. [47] A second trailer was announced to be released on Thursday, 24 February 2022 by actor Jude Law through the film's social media, but was later delayed. [48] The trailer was eventually released on 28 February, along with the official poster for the film. [49] [50] The official hardcover screenplay was scheduled to be released on 19 July 2022, three months after the film's theatrical release. [51]
Warner Bros spent over $21 million in television advertisement and promotion merchandise, with the film generating over 958 million impressions on airing channels NBC, ABC, TBS, CBS, and SyFy during the March Madness, Winter Olympics, NBA games and other sports and events. The film was one of the many merchandise that includes Warner Bros. Consumer Products's limited edition art prints from MinaLina calling Harry Potter: The Exhibition, Insight Editions' Fantastic Beasts: Secrets of Dumbledore: Movie Magic, Wizarding World's Niffler Figure with 1 card, Hot Topic's casual clothes and t-shirts, LeSportsac's bag and accessories, Build-A-Bear Workshop's character plushy that includes Niffler, Bowtruckle and more, and Funko Pop's action figure out of characters based on the film. [52] Warner's international YouTube channels received 125.1 million views from Indonesia, Brazil, Ireland, UK, Spain and more countries for the film's promotional material, and was one of the strong viral reposting rates with 18:1. [53]
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore premiered at the Royal Festival Hall in London on 29 March 2022. [54] [55] It was first released to cinemas in Belgium and the Netherlands on 6 April 2022, followed by other European countries, Australia, China, and Japan through 8 April, [56] the United States and Argentina on 15 April, and the Philippines on 16 April. In the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Lebanon, the film was released on 28 April 2022. The Secrets of Dumbledore was made available to stream on HBO Max on 30 May 2022. [57]
The film was initially scheduled to be released on 12 November 2021, [58] but following Depp's departure, his role's recasting with Mikkelsen and the COVID-19 pandemic, Warner Bros. shifted the release to 15 July 2022. [59] [60] In September 2021, the film's release was pushed forward three months early to 15 April 2022. [43] It was later announced that the film would be released a week earlier in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 8 April 2022. [61]
The Secrets of Dumbledore is the first Wizarding World film to openly address Dumbledore's sexuality, depicting him and Grindelwald as having been lovers. Although Rowling firmly stated in 2007 that Dumbledore was gay, none of the novels in the franchise ever mentioned this. The two dialogues in the film referencing Dumbledore's homosexuality were censored for the film's release in China. [62] [63]
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore was released for digital download on 30 May 2022, and on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD on 28 June 2022. [64] Over its first month of streaming in HBO Max, the film was streamed in an estimated eight million households. [65]
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore grossed $95.9 million in the United States and Canada, and $311.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $407.2 million. [66] [3]
In the United States and Canada, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore was projected to gross around $40 million from 4,200 theatres in its opening weekend. [67] [68] The film made $20 million on its first day, including $6 million on the Thursday night previews. [69] It went on to debut to $42.2 million, [70] topping the box office but marking the lowest opening of the Wizarding World franchise. Women over 25 (38%) were the largest demographic, followed by men over 25 (33%). [53] The film grossed $14 million in its second weekend, dropping 67% and finishing in third place, [71] marking the second-worst second weekend drop for the Wizarding World franchise after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 saw a 72% second weekend drop in 2011. [72]
Outside the U.S. and Canada, the film earned $56.9 million from 22 international markets in its opening weekend. In Germany, the film's $9.2 million debut was the best opening for Warner Bros. since 2019's Joker . [73] The film made $71.7 million in its second weekend. This included openings of $7.1 million in both France and Mexico, the latter of which was the second-biggest opening for Warner Bros. during the pandemic. [74] It added $38.3 million in its third international weekend, crossing the $200 million worldwide mark. [75] It crossed the $300 million mark in its fourth weekend. [76]
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On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 46% based on 248 reviews, with an average rating of 5.4/10. The website's critics consensus states: "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore avoids some of the pitfalls that plagued its predecessor, but lacks much of the magic that drew audiences into the Wizarding World many movies ago." [77] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 47 out of 100 based on 49 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews" [78] and marking the lowest score on the site for a Wizarding World film. [79] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, tied for the lowest of the franchise with The Crimes of Grindelwald, while those at PostTrak gave it an 81% positive score, with 63% saying they would definitely recommend it. [53]
A particular focus of praise from some reviews was that Mads Mikkelsen outperformed Johnny Depp in the role of Grindelwald. [80] [81] [82]
The film was nominated for Best Fantasy Film at the 47th Saturn Awards [83] and for two awards including Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature at the 21st Visual Effects Society Awards. [84]
The Fantastic Beasts film series was initially speculated to be a trilogy, but in October 2016, Rowling announced that the series would be composed of five films, [85] later confirming that the story of the series would consist of a sequence of events that occurred between 1926 and 1945. [86] In February 2022, producer David Heyman revealed that work on the script for a fourth film had not yet begun. [87] In April 2022, Variety reported that Warner Bros. greenlighting the final two instalments would be dependent on the critical and commercial performance of The Secrets of Dumbledore. [88] [89] Mikkelsen believed that Depp could return as Grindelwald in another film. [90] [91]
In November 2022, Variety reported that Warner Bros. Discovery was not actively planning to continue the Fantastic Beasts series or develop further films in the Wizarding World franchise. [92] In October 2023, Yates made comments that the series had been "parked", while also disclosing that the idea of it being a five-film series had been a "surprise" after many had only initially committed to doing a single film. [93] [94] In October 2024, Redmayne stated that The Secrets of Dumbledore was likely to be the last Fantastic Beasts film, pointing to the Universal Orlando Resort attraction in Florida as the next place to feature Newt. [95] In the same month, Law also stated he did not foresee more films being made, citing Warner Bros. focusing on the development of the forthcoming Harry Potter reboot television series. [96]
Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. For most of the series, he is the headmaster of the wizarding school Hogwarts. He is also the founder and leader of the Order of the Phoenix, an organisation dedicated to fighting the Dark wizard Lord Voldemort.
John Christopher Depp II is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for three Academy Awards and two British Academy Film Awards. His films, in which he has often played eccentric characters, have grossed over $8 billion worldwide, making him one of Hollywood's most bankable stars.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a 2001 guide book written by British author J. K. Rowling about the magical creatures in the Harry Potter universe. The original version, illustrated by the author herself, purports to be Harry Potter's copy of the textbook of the same name mentioned in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the first novel of the Harry Potter series. It includes several notes inside it supposedly handwritten by Harry, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, detailing their own experiences with some of the beasts described, and including inside jokes relating to the original series.
Mads Dittmann Mikkelsen is a Danish actor. He rose to fame in Denmark as an actor for his roles such as Tonny in the first two films of the Pusher film trilogy, Detective Sergeant Allan Fischer in the television series Rejseholdet (2000–2004), Niels in Open Hearts (2002), Svend in The Green Butchers (2003), Ivan in Adam's Apples (2005) and Jacob Petersen in After the Wedding (2006).
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The main story arc concerns Harry's conflict with Lord Voldemort, a dark wizard who intends to become immortal, overthrow the wizard governing body known as the Ministry of Magic, and subjugate all wizards and Muggles.
Lego Harry Potter is a Lego theme based on the film series of the same name and the eponymous novels by British author J. K. Rowling. It is licensed from Warner Bros. Lego models of important scenes, vehicles and characters were made for the first six films and all of the published books. The first sets appeared in 2001, to coincide with the release of the first film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Subsequent sets were released alongside the new films, until Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The line then went dormant for three years, with sets being released in 2010 and 2011. In 2018, it was announced that more sets based on the Harry Potter franchise would be released, including new sets based on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and its sequel, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.
Harry Potter is a film series based on the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. The series was produced and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and consists of eight fantasy films, beginning with Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) and culminating with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011). A spin-off prequel series started with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), marking the beginning of the Wizarding World shared media franchise.
Harry Potter is a series of fantasy novels by J. K. Rowling.
Fantastic Beasts is a film series directed by David Yates, and a spin-off prequel to the Harry Potter novel and film series.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is a 2018 fantasy film directed by David Yates and written by J. K. Rowling. The sequel to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), it is the second instalment in the Fantastic Beasts film series and the tenth overall in the Wizarding World franchise. It features an ensemble cast including Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Zoë Kravitz, Callum Turner, Claudia Kim, William Nadylam, Kevin Guthrie, Jude Law, and Johnny Depp. Set in 1927, it follows Newt Scamander and Albus Dumbledore as they attempt to take down the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald while facing new threats in a more divided wizarding world.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a 2016 fantasy film directed by David Yates and written by J. K. Rowling. It is the first instalment in the Fantastic Beasts film series and the ninth overall in the Wizarding World franchise, serving as a spin-off of and prequel to the Harry Potter film series; it is inspired by the 2001 guide book of the same name by Rowling. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Samantha Morton, Jon Voight, Carmen Ejogo, Ron Perlman, and Colin Farrell.
A Celebration of Harry Potter was an annual three-day weekend event held on the last weekend of January at Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure theme parks at Universal Orlando Resort. The event was a celebration of the fandom of the Harry Potter books, authored by J. K. Rowling, and the Wizarding World franchise, including the Harry Potter film series and Fantastic Beasts film series. Universal Parks & Resorts collaborated with Warner Bros. Entertainment, who owns the franchise, and Scholastic, publishers of the book series in the United States. The inaugural event took place on the weekend of January 24–26, 2014, and the final event on the weekend of January 26–28, 2018.
Fantastic Beasts is a film series directed by David Yates and a spin-off prequel to the Harry Potter novel and film series. The series is distributed by Warner Bros. and consists of three fantasy films as of 2024, beginning with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), and following with Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022). Following the 2001–11 Harry Potter film series, Fantastic Beasts marks the second film series in the Wizarding World shared universe media franchise.
The Wizarding World is a fantasy media franchise and shared fictional universe centred on the Harry Potter novel series by J. K. Rowling. A series of films have been in production since 2000, and in that time eleven films have been produced—eight are adaptations of the Harry Potter novels and three are part of the Fantastic Beasts series. The films are owned and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The series has collectively grossed over $9.6 billion at the global box office, making it the fourth-highest-grossing film franchise of all time.
Joshua Adam Berger CBE is an American-born British business executive and producer in the media and entertainment industry. He is the founder and Chairman of Battersea Entertainment. Josh is also Chair of trustees at The BRIT School.
Professor Minerva McGonagall is a fictional character in the Harry Potter series of novels by J. K. Rowling. McGonagall is a professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where she is also the head of Gryffindor House and the deputy headmistress under Albus Dumbledore. McGonagall was portrayed by Maggie Smith in the Harry Potter films and then by Fiona Glascott in the Fantastic Beasts prequel films The Crimes of Grindelwald and The Secrets of Dumbledore.
Newton Artemis Fido Scamander Yucatal "Newt" Scamander is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Fantastic Beasts film series.
Christian Manz is a British visual effects artist. He was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Visual Effects for the film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. He has also been nominated for three British Academy Film Awards. He is represented by the visual effects studio, Framestore, where he also serves as a creative director in the film division.