If you are one of the few people who still hasn't watched the new trailer for 'Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald', then (for starters, where have you been? But also...) you probably have missed several key things. Although we all have to wait until the 16th November for the film to be released, the latest and final trailer has revealed several details of the upcoming film which have left fans on the edge of their seats with anticipation. One detail in particular is giving us a lot to talk about...
As well as seeming to be a lot darker than the first installment in this trilogy, this film, based in J.K. Rowling's magical universe might finally delve deeper into something which even the author herself has confirmed to be a reality: the relationship between Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald. As we can see in the trailer, there is a powerful connexion between the two wizards, which extends far beyond their very real enmity. We see a shot of the characters face to face in nothing less than the Mirror of Erised, through which Dumbledore gazes. And as we all know, the mirror shows only the deepest and darkest desire of the person who looks inside. Clearer than water.
The film's director, Peter Yates, already declared on Twitter that the sexuality of the future headmaster of Hogwarts would not be a relevant factor in the film, but this has not avoided speculation with regards to Dumbledore's obvious desire for Grindelwald. After all, in the trailer even Newt Scamander questions Dumbledore as to why he does not defeat the dark wizard himself, to which her replies: "I cannot move against Grindelwald". Closer attention must be paid to the scene with the Mirror of Erised to know more, but it seems clear that Dumbledore still has strong feelings towards Grindelwald, whom he loved as a young man.
The two key actors who appeared in 'Harry Potter'
In the brief shots of the Mirror of Erised we are able to see two versions of both Dumbledore and Grindelwald; one version of the pair at the age that they appear in the film (played by Jude Law and Johnny Depp), and another image of the two as much younger men. It gets even more interesting to see that these two younger versions are played by the same actors who took the roles in 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1', with Jamie Campbell Bower as a youthful Grindelwald, and Toby Regbo as Dumbledore. This appearance from the two actors draws explicit links to the original 'Harry Potter' series, connecting the sagas in a way that won't have gone unmissed by the most dedicated fans of the franchise.
