A new behind the scenes video for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore assembles the very first Dumbledore's Army in the fight against Grindelwald. Arriving in theaters next month, Fantastic Beasts 3 hopes to offer a major course correction for the divisive Harry Potter prequel series. The Fantastic Beasts franchise is coming off the Wizarding World's worst-received installment yet, 2018's The Crimes of Grindelwald, so it brought in Potter screenwriter Steve Kloves to develop the script alongside controversial author J.K. Rowling. David Yates returns to direct.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore picks up with Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and his friends as the war against dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen, taking over from an ousted Johnny Depp) grows ever more complicated. Currently unable to make a move against Grindelwald directly, leader of the light Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) turns to Newt once again for help, sending him on a mission that'll take him to new locales. Fantastic Beasts 3 also features the talents of Dan Folger, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Jessica Williams, Callum Turner, William Nadylam, and, supposedly, Katherine Waterston.
With just about a month to go before Fantastic Beasts 3 arrives, Warner Bros. has unveiled a video that gives fans more information about the heroes at the movie's center. Titled "Dumbledore's First Army," the featurette reveals Dumbledore hasn't just given Newt a mission - he's enlisted multiple characters. That includes Lally (Williams), Bunty (Victoria Yeates), Kama (Nadylam), Theseus (Turner), and Jacob (Folger). Producer David Heyman likens them to the Dumbledore's Army that emerges in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Check out the video down below.
Click here to watch the video on YouTube.
Once again conspicuously missing from the action is Waterston's Tina Goldstein, who is ostensibly the Fantastic Beasts franchise's female lead. As fans have noticed, Tina hasn't been glimpsed in any piece of marketing for The Secrets of Dumbledore, including the batch of 18 character posters that even gave a spotlight to Newt's Bowtruckle friend Pickett. The Dumbledore's Army video doesn't provide any clues about Tina's whereabouts, save for that she is evidently not one of the people Albus recruits for his mysterious mission.
Nevertheless, the Fantastic Beasts 3 video continues to send the message that Dumbledore is the one in charge this time around. He did send Newt on his way in The Crimes of Grindelwald, but this time, Dumbledore is utilizing a number of allies to make his move against Grindelwald. Lally and Bunty are relatively new additions to the group, which should make for some interesting dynamics for Fantastic Beasts 3 to explore. The original Dumbledore's Army was a group of underdogs fighting back against an unfair institution, and on the surface, this early iteration looks to be the same. Fans will have to decide if this army truly can hold a candle to the original, though.
Source: Warner Bros. Pictures
