Jude Law is Albus Dumbledore in the ‘Fantastic Beasts’ Sequel

One of the most beloved characters in children’s literature is coming to the big screen – again – and this time he’s going to be younger, and distractingly handsome.

Jude Law has been cast as Albus Dumbledore in the sequel to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (via Coming Soon). Fans know Dumbledore as the headmaster of the wizarding academy Hogwarts in the original Harry Potter series, but the sequel to Fantastic Beasts takes place decades before Harry Potter was even born. Coming Soon reports that audiences will meet Albus Dumbledore when he was merely the professor in charge of teaching “transfiguration,” a.k.a. the art of magically turning one thing into another thing.

Albus Dumbledore was name-checked in the first Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them as having provided a letter of recommendation to Newt Scamander, the protagonist of the series, played by Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne. The sequel is expected to dip further into a dark chapter of wizarding history, when Dumbledore’s contemporary Grindelwald was stirring up animosity between wizards and the human/muggle/no-maj communities.

Warner Bros.

Also: The Nine Most Unforgettable Film Roles of Alan Rickman

Jude Law is a versatile actor, capable of alternating between gravitas and levity from moment to moment, a skill that has served him very well in his memorable roles in The Young PopeThe Talented Mr. Ripley and A.I. Artificial Intelligence. Those qualities are some vital to bringing Albus Dumbledore to life, in a manner akin to the great actors who played him in the previous Harry Potter movies: Richard Harris and Sir Michael Gambon.

Whether Albus Dumbledore will play a prominent role in the new Fantastic Beasts movie is unknown. It’s possible that he plays a supporting role in the story, or even merely a cameo that could become more prominent in future installments. Or maybe we’ll see him team up with Newt Scamander and kick magical butt across the globe, although that doesn’t really seem likely given the fanciful nature of this franchise, and Dumbledore’s trademark aloofness.

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Top Photo: Stefania D’Alessandro/WireImage

William Bibbiani (everyone calls him ‘Bibbs’) is Crave’s film content editor and critic. You can hear him every week on The B-Movies Podcast and Canceled Too Soon, and watch him on the weekly YouTube series What the Flick. Follow his rantings on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.

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