Jude Law cast as young Albus Dumbledore in 'Fantastic Beasts' film series
 

Academy Award nominee Jude Law has been confirmed to portray young Albus Dumbledore in the Fantastic Beasts film series, it was announced on Wednesday via Pottermore. He will play opposite fellow Oscar-nominee Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald in the second movie, filming this summer in the UK and France.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jude Law has been cast as Albus Dumbledore in the next Fantastic Beasts film - welcome to the Wizarding World, Jude! <a href="https://t.co/iPABYNZgsV">https://t.co/iPABYNZgsV</a> <a href="https://t.co/45bECCcjYv">pic.twitter.com/45bECCcjYv</a></p>&mdash; Pottermore (@pottermore) <a href="https://twitter.com/pottermore/status/852197670450057216">April 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Warner Bros. official press announcement regarding the casting, with quotes from director David Yates, can be found below.

As fans across the globe eagerly await the next adventure in the “Fantastic Beasts” feature film series, Warner Bros. Pictures has announced the actor who will take on the role of one of J.K. Rowling’s most beloved characters. Two-time Academy Award nominee Jude Law has been set to star as Albus Dumbledore in the “Fantastic Beasts” sequel, it was announced today by Toby Emmerich, President and Chief Content Officer, Warner Bros. Pictures.

In the much-anticipated new Wizarding World film, Law will portray Dumbledore long before the iconic wizard became the Headmaster at Hogwarts, as he has been known in the Harry Potter books and movies. We meet him decades earlier, when Dumbledore is still serving as the wizarding school’s Transfiguration professor. He is also a contemporary of Gellert Grindelwald, the charismatic dark wizard who believes wizards are superior to Muggles and No-Majs.

J.K. Rowling, who made her screenwriting debut on the global hit “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” has also written the screenplay for the second movie. The story moves deeper into an increasingly dark time for the wizarding world, where Newt Scamander and our other heroes have to decide on their allegiances.

In making the announcement, Emmerich stated, “As fans ourselves, we are thrilled to have Jude Law joining the ‘Fantastic Beasts’ cast, playing a character so universally adored. Jude has been a member of the Warner Bros. family for years and we’re excited to embark on this new adventure with him.”

Director David Yates added, “Jude Law is a phenomenally talented actor whose work I have long admired, and I’m looking forward to finally having the opportunity to work with him. I know he will brilliantly capture all the unexpected facets of Albus Dumbledore as J.K. Rowling reveals this very different time in his life.”

Jude Law earned Oscar nominations for his work in “Cold Mountain” and “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” winning a BAFTA Award for the latter. He will next be seen in “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword,” and currently stars in the HBO series “The Young Pope.” His many other film credits include the “Sherlock Holmes” movies, “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Hugo,” “Contagion,” “The Aviator,” “Alfie,” “Road to Perdition” and “A.I. Artificial Intelligence,” to name only a portion.

The first film in the “Fantastic Beasts” series, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” began a new era in the wizarding world, decades before the Harry Potter movies, which still reign as the top-grossing film franchise of all time. Acclaimed by both critics and audiences, the 2016 release became a global blockbuster, earning more than $813 million at the box office.

Principal photography begins this summer on the new “Fantastic Beasts” adventure, which will be directed by David Yates, who previously helmed the final four “Harry Potter” features, as well as “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” The film also reunites producers David Heyman, J.K. Rowling, Steve Kloves and Lionel Wigram. Neil Blair, Rick Senat and Danny Cohen are serving as executive producers.

Slated for release on November 16, 2018, the film, which is the second of five planned “Fantastic Beasts” movies, will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Also set to return in the Fantastic Beasts sequel later this year are stars Eddie Redmayne, Dan Fogler, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, and Zoe Kravitz.

Law will next be seen in Warner Bros.' theatrical release of King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, out worldwide from May 12, 2017.

Order J.K. Rowling's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, out March 28th, in the following formats now:

&bull; Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Amazon Exclusive) (Niffler Figurine/Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD UltraViolet Combo Pack)
&bull; Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD UltraViolet Combo Pack)

Congrats to him! :woot:

OH MY GOD! :woot: Congratulations, Jude Law! :x3:

Oh. My. God! :whaa: I'm so excited about this! :x3:

Whoop whoop. I accept this as a thing. I do I do.

i wanna say something about the RL age difference between Johnny and Jude as compared to Grindy and DD in the books.....

........ but i am just so THRILLED to have Jude on this franchise im gonna overlook this for now :xd: :woot::woot::woot:

GOOD CHOICE!!! :whaa: Congratulations, Jude! :woot:

I am BY NO MEANS DISAPPOINTED. HOLY MOLY.

Jude Law and Michael Gambon are both 6 ft tall.

ohh didn't know that!

Fantastic Beasts is one of my favourite movies, a fantastic screenplay and costume design... I love having Eddie Redmayne, Dan Fogler, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol, Colin Farrell and Johnny Depp in it. I was wondering... Can this movie even get better than it is? :banaboogie:YES!!!!:banaboogie:

NOW WE HAVE JUDE LAW!!!!:x3: I can believe that! I love Jude Law!:glomp: He's an amazing actor!

I'm cool with it.

Two things, first I love Jude law and am totally okay with this.

2nd: I thought there was only going to be 3 movies ... 5 makes me so much happier!

Do you guys think Jude Law and Johnny Depp will act well together?

Originally, there was only going to be 3 movies. But then JK Rowling sat down with David Yates and they went over her ideas for the sequel, and discovered that they needed 5 movies to get everything in! :)

i think so. they're both pretty professional dudes. i must admit i dont remember of any film that they both starred in to see how well their screen chemistry plays out, but the Davids have yet to make a bad move in anything Potter related so im pretty confident that they would do really really well against each other.

my one concern is the age portrayal between Grindy and DD. DD is supposed to be older than Grindy only by a couple of years. but Depp is older than Jude by almost 10 years-- and he's starting to look every bit of it (lesson: take care of your health kids). idk if they're gonna be wrapping Jude in make-up so that he at least looks as old as Depp.

Love this choice and I cannot WAIT to see him in what I am positive will be an amazing costume!!