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Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)

134 min · Adventure, Fantasy, adventure film, drama film, fantasy film

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Newt Scamander and Albus Dumbledore must confront the rising power of the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald in a divided wizarding world.

The story

In 1927, as the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald escapes from the Magical Congress of the United States of America, he begins a campaign to establish a new order. Newt Scamander, a magizoologist, finds himself caught in the middle of the conflict. While attempting to navigate a series of complications involving his friends and the Ministry of Magic, Newt must work with others to locate the mysterious Credence Barebone. As the wizarding world becomes increasingly divided, Newt and his allies must navigate dangerous alliances and hidden threats to stop Grindelwald's growing influence.

Full plot (contains spoilers)

In 1927, Gellert Grindelwald escapes MACUSA and begins a quest for wizarding supremacy. Newt Scamander seeks to lift his travel ban by helping find Credence Barebone, who is believed to be the long-lost brother of Leta Lestrange. Newt is joined by his friends Queenie and Jacob, and later by Tina Goldstein. The group travels to Paris, where they encounter the Maledictus Nagini and the hunter Yusuf Kama. They discover that Credence is actually Corvus Lestrange V, and that Leta unknowingly caused the death of her brother. The story culminates in a massive rally where Grindelwald reveals his vision of a global war. Newt and his allies fight against Grindelwald's followers, while Dumbledore and Newt ultimately confront the truth of Grindelwald's identity and their shared past. At the end, it is revealed that Credence's true identity is Aurelius Dumbledore.

First release year
2018
Runtime (minutes)
134
Production countries
United Kingdom; United States
Original languages
English
Directors
David Yates
Writers
J. K. Rowling · writer
Cast and characters
Eddie Redmayne · Newt Scamander; Katherine Waterston · Tina Goldstein; Dan Fogler · Jacob Kowalski; Alison Sudol · Queenie Goldstein; Ezra Miller · Credence Barebone; Zoë Kravitz · Leta Lestrange; Callum Turner · Theseus Scamander; Claudia Kim · Nagini; William Nadylam · Yusuf Kama; Kevin Guthrie · Abernathy; Jude Law · Albus Dumbledore; Johnny Depp · Gellert Grindelwald
Genres
fantasy; adventure
Themes
sacrifice; identity; prejudice
Tone and mood
tense; epic
Premise and plot tags
sequel; fantasy; mystery
Source material / true-story basis
Wizarding World franchise
Franchise connections
Fantastic Beasts
Content notes
violence
Reception
The film received generally mixed reviews from critics, who noted it was over-burdened with characters and details, though it was praised for its production values and visuals.
Reported review scores
PostTrak · score: 83% · scale: percentage
Awards and nominations
Best Production Design · British Academy Film Awards · Nomination; Best Special Visual Effects · British Academy Film Awards · Nomination
Production trivia
The film was the lowest-grossing installment of the Wizarding World franchise upon its release.; The film's script was published in book form as 'The Original Screenplay'.
Catalogue themes and tags

1927, Fight against evil, Flucht aus dem Gefängnis, London, Mythical Creature, New York, Paris, Sorcerer, Zauberkraft

Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.

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