‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’ Trailer Introduces Mads Mikkelsen Into the Wizarding World

Zack Sharf
·2 min read

The new year is shaping up to be a big one for Harry Potter fans. Not only is the original cast reuniting for an HBO Max special set to debut January 1, but prequel series “Fantastic Beasts” is continuing its run in April with the release of “The Secrets of Dumbledore.” The third film in the franchise once again stars Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Callum Turner, Jessica Williams, and Jude Law as the eponymous wizard. New to the franchise is Mads Mikkelsen, replacing Johnny Depp as the villainous Grindelwald.

The official synopsis for “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” from Warner Bros. reads: “Professor Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) knows the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) is moving to seize control of the wizarding world. Unable to stop him alone, he entrusts Magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) to lead an intrepid team of wizards, witches, and one brave Muggle baker on a dangerous mission, where they encounter old and new beasts and clash with Grindelwald’s growing legion of followers. But with the stakes so high, how long can Dumbledore remain on the sidelines?”

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Warner Bros. is touting the new “Fantastic Beasts” installment as “an action-packed cat-and-mouse game of secretive plans, mysteries, and fun twists and turns.” Wizarding World fans will be thrilled to hear the movie will “dive into the complex, high-stakes relationship between Grindelwald and Dumbledore to unlock the story of these two legendary wizards. For the first time, audiences will get an inside look at the complicated and enigmatic Dumbledore.”

“Well it’s going to be me, so that’s a difference,” Mikkelsen told Entertainment Weekly last year about replacing Depp. “No, this is the tricky part. There has to be a bridge between what Johnny did and what I’m going to do. And at the same time, I also have to make it my own. But also we have to find a few links [to the previous version of the character] and some bridges so it doesn’t completely detach from what he’s already masterfully achieved.”

“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” is set to open in theaters nationwide April 15, 2022. Watch the first trailer for the film in the video below.

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