‘Fantastic Beasts’ Sequel Begins Production as Studio Unveils Plot and Casting Details

It has been twenty years since Harry Potter and the Philosophers/ Sorcerer’s Stone’s debut in bookstores, and the Harry Potter franchise has only continued to grow in popularity. This is due in part to the series’ ever expanding fan base, as well as its abundance of theatrical adaptations that succeed overwhelmingly at bringing J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World to life. After the critical and commercial success of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the first in a new five-picture spin-off/prequel series, it’s clear that Warner Bros. has no intention of stopping anytime soon. For them, the adventures of Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) create another opening with which to explore the world of Harry Potter alongside longtime fans.

As of today, principal photography for the upcoming sequel to Fantastic Beasts is set to begin. Based on a screenplay by Rowling, the film will take place a few months after the events of Fantastic Beasts, with Scamander reuniting with his former Hogwarts teacher Albus Dumbledore (Played by Jude Law) in order to defeat the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp). Whereas the first film introduced audience to the wizarding culture of 1920’s America, this next entry will move things back to familiar territory in London and later Paris. According an official statement, the film will include “some surprising nods to the Harry Potter stories that will delight fans of the books and film series.”

In addition to reuniting Newt with Fantastic Beast protagonists Tina (Katherine Waterston), Queenie (Alison Sudol) and Jacob (Dan Fogler), the sequel is set to introduce a handful of new magical allies. Some of these characters were previously mentioned in the first film, such as Zoë Kravitz as Leta Lestrange and Callum Turner as Auror Theseus Scamander, Newt’s older brother. Other characters will be given their debut outing in this film, among them William Nadylam as wizard Yusuf Kama, Ingvar Sigurdsson (The Oath) as bounty hunter Grimmson, and Kevin Guthrie as Abernathy, head of the Magical Congress of the USA.

Fantastic Beasts 2 is set to release on November 16, 2018 and will be directed by returning Harry Potter veteran David Yates. Further details about the film’s production or title have yet to be confirmed.