The team behind ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald’ just released a featurette highlighting Grindelwald’s return to wreak havoc on poor Newt Scamander and Company!
Author and screenwriter J.K. Rowling spoke about the sequel, explaining the character of Grindelwald. She said:
“The crimes of Grindelwald have been crimes of violence and terror. But we also see his immense seductive power. What I consciously wanted was to have this gallery of people whose backstories we understand. We get to know their own personal struggles, biases, traumas… and in the middle of it, we have Grindelwald. Now which of these characters will hear his siren call? Which of them will say ‘yes, you have the answer to what ails me,’ and which of them will say, ‘no, I see what you’re doing, and I don’t like what you’re doing.’ And for some of these characters, he is the answer.”
Johnny Depp, who will bring Grindelwald to life onscreen, described his character as charming and ruthless, saying he is a “very, very powerful manipulative menace to the world,” and is “convinced that the only way forward is total domination over the people.”
The goal for the dark wizard Grindelwald is the rise of wizards and witches over muggles. Eddie Redmayne, who plays Newt Scamander, said:
“Grindelwald believes that wizards should no longer live in hiding and that muggles should be ruled over by wizards and witches. He justifies everything to himself and makes it appear rational. In fact, at moments, appealing, and that’s how he’s clawing people to his cause.”
The decision to keep Depp on as Grindelwald by Warner Bros. was met with much criticism, mostly regarding the domestic abuse accusations made by Depp’s ex-wife, Amber Heard. Heard claimed Depp was physically and emotionally abusive toward her. Despite the controversy, Rowling and the film’s director David Yates defended Depp, saying the filmmakers were “comfortable” having Depp on board. This caused fans to criticize Rowling, with some even denouncing her altogether.
Depp recently spoke about Rowling’s defense of him, saying he felt bad it had come to that. He said:
“I’ll be honest with you, I felt bad for J.K. having to field all these various feelings from people out there. I felt bad that she had to take that. But ultimately, there is real controversy. The fact remains I was falsely accused, which is why I’m suing the Sun newspaper for defamation for repeating false accusations.”
He continued, saying:
“J.K. has seen the evidence and therefore knows I was falsely accused, and that’s why she has publicly supported me. She doesn’t take things lightly. She would not stand up if she didn’t know the truth. So that’s really it.”
‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald’ opens in theaters on November 16. Check out the featurette below!
Source: CB
