Explore Dumbledore’s Past in the Third “Fantastic Beasts” Film (Opens Apr 16)

Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” is a magical adventure that sends a team of unlikely heroes, led by Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), on a mission that could spell their only chance to save both the wizarding and non-magical worlds.  Each has a role to play in this covert operation devised by the ultimate wizarding mastermind: Professor Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law).

Dumbledore has been one of the most revered figures in the Wizarding World canon since he was first introduced some 20-plus years ago. However, the beloved wizard of the Harry Potter books and movies has an intriguing history that is unveiled in the third film in the “Fantastic Beasts” series.

Jude Law, who returns to the role of the wizard destined to be Headmaster at Hogwarts, reveals, “What I enjoyed the most was the opportunity to unpeel more of Dumbledore’s past. There were hints of it in the last film, but here we are able to delve into his connection with Gellert Grindelwald as young men and the point at which it started to break. Albus had once shared with Grindelwald quite extreme views about Muggles, which he worked out himself as being wrong and backed away. But he lives with that dark secret and the fallout from their relationship.”

Portrayed by Mads Mikkelsen, Gellert Grindelwald had been a wanted man due to his radical beliefs and violent tactics. Now, the powerful Dark wizard has emerged from the shadows, ready to implement his plot to gain control of the entire wizarding world and wage all-out war on the Muggles. This time, however, he is not operating outside the law but within the system while twisting it to his own ends, which makes him all-the-more dangerous.

Dumbledore is the one wizard with the power to thwart Grindelwald’s ambitions, but there remains a physical manifestation of their previous relationship that stops him. Law explains, “The blood oath is the embodiment of the bond between Gellert and Albus, one made through youthful passion and belief. Even though their lives have taken very different directions, they are still connected in this stalemate, which, from Albus’s point of view, is hugely frustrating.”

Ever the chess master, Dumbledore formulates a plan that involves his friend and former student, Newt Scamander, joining forces with a small band of wizards, witches and one brave Muggle. Yates observes, “Dumbledore has a checkered history of encouraging people to do crazy things, but we love him for that, nonetheless.”

Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Heyday Films Production, a David Yates film, “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” in Philippine theaters Black Saturday, April 16. The film will be distributed worldwide in select theatres and IMAX by Warner Bros. Pictures.

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