Fantastic Animals 2: "Crimes of Grindelwald" is released Wednesday in France. The preview took place yesterday in Paris in the presence of several actors and the author JK Rowling. This new episode takes us back to the Harry Potter universe, but well before the birth of the young wizard. We return to Hogwarts with a young Albus Dumbledore, played by Jude Law.
The second part of Fantastic Animals: "Crimes of Grindelwald" is released Wednesday in cinemas. The preview of this film derived from the universe of Harry Potter took place Thursday evening at UGC Bercy in Paris. The author of this work and creator of the famous little wizard with round glasses and scar, JK Rowling was present on the red carpet, as well as several actors of the film: Jude Law who interprets young Albus Dumbledore, Zoe Kravitz (who plays the witch Leta Lestrange) and of course, Eddie Redmayne who lends his features to the hero of this new saga, Norbert Dragonneau.
Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall
Johnny Depp, who plays the role of the sorcerer Grindelwald, was unfortunately not there, but his public appearances are rare since he was the subject of accusations of domestic violence from his ex-companion, recall our confreres of the Point.
The action of this second part of the Fantastic Animals is a few decades before that of Harry Potter. But unlike the first film that evoked only distantly the world of the little wizard, it plunges more directly into the world created by JK Rowling with a return to school Hogwarts and reunion with teachers Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall (played by Fiona Glascott).
Grindelwald, enigmatic character
With its stunning special effects, "Crimes of Grindelwald" opens with the spectacular escape of Gellert Grindelwald, a charismatic and manipulative wizard interpreted by Johnny Depp who wants his fellow beings to reign over the world of "non-maj" (the ordinary humans).
"Grindelwald is mentioned for the first time in" Harry Potter at the Wizard School ", so he's been there from the beginning, but still an enigmatic character. [...] I was especially interested in this story, because it is essential to understand Dumbledore, who is my favorite character , " says JK Rowling. An allusion is made in the film to his love affair with Grindelwald.
Paris in 1927
To stop him, Dumbledore uses his former pupil Norbert Dragonneau, a fantastic animal specialist who had already helped capture him in the previous episode. Alongside this rebellious and whimsical hero, we find Tina Goldstein, elite agent of the US Magic Congress, his sister Queenie and Jacob Kowalski, improbable "non-maj".
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New characters support them, like the witch Leta Lestrange or the alchemist Nicolas Flamel (designer of the famous philosopher's stone that Harry strives to protect in the first volume).
The quartet leads the investigation in the streets of Paris in 1927, where behind the postcard scenery of the Eiffel Tower or Père Lachaise (reconstituted in studio), flourishes a magical parallel world whose access is hidden in the furniture urban. A Wallace fountain allows for example to enter the French Ministry of Magic.
"In the first installment, we're in America, where the wizarding world seems pretty closed. For this new chapter, I sought to evolve in a universe where there would be a more direct relationship between magic and everyday life. And in the 1920s, it was to be Paris, " says JK Rowling, author of the saga and scriptwriter of the film, who also lived in the French capital and feels " a strong proximity to this city . "
Three other films in project
Huge worldwide success, the seven volumes of the Harry Potter saga, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, have sold more than 450 million copies worldwide (including 28 million in France) and their adaptation to the cinema has yielded 7 , $ 7 billion.
The Fantastic Animals, prequel worn by the studio Warner Bros, should have three other components whose action will take place in different cities. The first opus had totaled more than 4 million entries in France.