Jude Law is set to play Albus Dumbledore in the upcoming Fantastic Beasts sequel, joining Johnny Depp to play his gay love interest in the upcoming 2018 film.
“What makes Albus Dumbledore so fond of you?” – Percival Graves #FantasticBeasts pic.twitter.com/Vsvz5DD1zy
– Fantastic Beasts (@BeastsMovieUK) April 5, 2017
Prior to the 2016 release of the original Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film starring Eddie Redmayne, news broke that Depp had been cast as Gellert Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts sequel.
And now Jude Law has been cast as Albus Dumbledore, to play alongside Eddie Redmayne and Depp in the upcoming sequel to the Harry Potter spin-off, which is being made into five films.
While the Fantastic Beasts sequel has no official title and no plot yet, Jude Law and Depp are already onboard to play the younger versions of Albus Dumbledore and Grindelwald , respectively, to fall in love with one another in the upcoming sequel, according to Alternative Press .
Harry Potter fans couldn’t wish for a more handsome addition to the Fantastic Beasts sequel to play the gay love interest of Depp. Jude Law is arguably the perfect choice for a British actor in his 40s.
According to the Harry Potter storyline, Grindelwald is a childhood friend of Albus Dumbledore who becomes one of the evilest wizards in the Harry Potter world.
The Fantastic Beasts sequel is expected to explore the adolescent relationship between Jude Law’s Albus Dumbledore and Depp’s Grindelwald, while also showing the fantastic journey of Newt (played by Eddie Redmayne) and his beasts.
Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has previously noted that Albus Dumbledore fell in love with Grindelwald, and this is expected to be shown in the 2018’s Fantastic Beasts sequel.
Jude Law is now Dumbledore pic.twitter.com/TfjVHM3Yqq
– Professor Snape (@_Snape_) April 12, 2017
However, Jude Law’s Albus Dumbledore is later saddened by the fact that his childhood friend Grindelwald has grown into a villain. the Fantastic Beasts sequel will show Albus Dumbledore “as a younger man and quite a troubled man,” according to the Hollywood Reporter .
The original Fantastic Beasts film starring Eddie Redmayne grossed $813 million last year. David Yates is set to direct the upcoming Fantastic Beasts sequel, while the original Harry Potter author is penning the script and producing the upcoming Harry Potter spin-off flick.
While the original Fantastic Beasts film starring Eddie Redmayne takes place in 1926 – when Albus Dumbledore was around 45-years-old – Harry Potter fans expect the Fantastic Beasts sequel to depict the pivotal duel between Dumbledore and Grindelwald in 1945, when Dumbledore was 64-years-old. As of today, Jude Law is 44-years-old, while Depp is 53-years-old. It’s safe to say that makeup artists behind the Fantastic Beasts sequel will have to work wonders to make Law appear 20-years older onscreen.
The casting of Jude Law as Albus Dumbledore in the Fantastic Beasts sequel comes amid widespread speculation on social media that Law would be the perfect casting choice for the role.
And the casting crew of the Fantastic Beasts sequel has apparently listened to the calls from Harry Potter fans on social media.
Ian McKellen, the actor behind such iconic roles as Gandalf from Lord of the Rings and Magneto from X-Men , recently opened up to the BBC that he had turned down the role of Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movies following the death of Richard Harris, who portrayed the character in The Sorcerer’s Stone and The Chamber of Secrets .
Ian McKellen Explains Why He Passed on Playing Albus Dumbledore https://t.co/McT0EzhFRv #imdb #movies #hollywood pic.twitter.com/0Oo6o9wROh
– IMDB Center (@imdbcenter) April 4, 2017
McKellen explained that his decision was motivated by the fact that Harris had called him a “passionless” actor prior to his death.
“I couldn’t take over the part from an actor who I’d known didn’t approve of me.”
The Fantastic Beasts sequel is set to open in theaters on November 16, 2018, when Eddie Redmayne will star alongside Jude Law and Depp.
[Featured Image by Dennis Van Tine/STAR MAX/IPx/AP Images]