Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)
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Albus Dumbledore tasks Newt Scamander and his allies with a mission into the heart of Gellert Grindelwald's army.
The story
Set five years after the events of The Crimes of Grindelwald, Albus Dumbledore tasks Newt Scamander and his allies with a mission that takes them into the heart of dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald's army. The story unfolds as the characters navigate a world of magic and danger to confront the growing power of Grindelwald. The narrative explores the complexities of the wizarding world, including the internal conflicts of those caught in the crossfire of the escalating war between Dumbledore and Grindelwald.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Albus Dumbledore confesses to Grindelwald that he supported his plans to destroy the Muggle world because he was in love with him. In Kweilin, Newt Scamander helps a qilin give birth, but Credence steals the newborn. Newt and Theseus meet Albus, who reveals a blood troth prevents them from harming each other. Grindelwald's acolytes take the newborn qilin to Nurmengard, where he kills it to harness its abilities. Meanwhile, Jacob Kowalski and Lally Hicks travel with Newt and Theseus to Berlin. In Berlin, Grindelwald is acquitted of crimes and runs for the head of the ICW. Credence confronts Albus, who reveals he is a Dumbledore. During the ICW vote in Bhutan, the group is confronted by Grindelwald's followers. Grindelwald is elected head of the ICW and attacks Jacob. Credence reveals Grindelwald's qilin is dead and presents the surviving one, which bows to Albus. A clash of spells breaks the blood pact, and Grindelwald flees. Aberforth takes in Credence, and Jacob and Queenie marry in New York.
- First release year
- 2022
- Runtime (minutes)
- 142
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- David Yates
- Writers
- J. K. Rowling · screenplay; Steve Kloves · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Eddie Redmayne · Newt Scamander; Jude Law · Albus Dumbledore; Ezra Miller · Credence Barebone; Dan Fogler · Jacob Kowalski; Alison Sudol · Queenie Goldstein; Callum Turner · Theseus Scamander; Jessica Williams · Eulalie "Lally" Hicks; Katherine Waterston · Tina Goldstein; Mads Mikkelsen · Gellert Grindelwald
- Genres
- fantasy
- Themes
- sacrifice; identity; loyalty
- Tone and mood
- fantasy; serious
- Premise and plot tags
- magical creatures; political intrigue; quest
- Source material / true-story basis
- based on characters by J. K. Rowling
- Franchise connections
- Wizarding World
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics and was noted for having the lowest score for a Wizarding World film on Metacritic.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 46% · scale: percentage · review count: 248; Metacritic · score: 47 · scale: 100 · review count: 49; CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A+ to F; PostTrak · score: 81% · scale: percentage
- Production trivia
- Mads Mikkelsen replaced Johnny Depp as Grindelwald.; The film was originally slated for a November 2021 release.; The film was the lowest-grossing film of the Wizarding World franchise.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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