Wands at the ready!
On Tuesday morning, fans got their first look at Warner Bros. Pictures' Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, the second of five daring adventures in J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World.
The first teaser trailer for the film debuted online in advance of its Nov. 16, 2018 release date, and it picks up after the Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) escapes custody of MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America). Set mostly in Paris, the runaway villain sets out to find followers and give pure-blood wizards full control of non-magical beings.
Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) can't let that happen, of course, so he asks a former student, magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), to stop Gellert—without fully realizing the impending dangers. "Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world," according to the studio's logline.
"I can't move against Grindelwald," Dumbledore tells Newt. "It has to be you."
Set partially in London and New York City, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald will see Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller), Queenie Goldstein (Alison Sudol), Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston), Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler) and Seraphina Picquery (Carmen Ejogo) coming back.
David Yates returned to direct Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, from a screenplay by Rowling, after helming 2016's $814 million smash Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Additional cast members include Poppy Corby-Tuech as Vinda Rosier, Kevin Guthrie as Mr. Abernathy, Brontis Jodorowsky as Nicolas Flamel, Claudia Kim as an unidentified Maledictus, Zoë Kravitz as Leta Lestrange, William Nadylam as Yusuf Kama, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Skender, Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson as Grimmson and Callum Turner as Theseus Scamander.
Rowling, creator of the Harry Potter series, produced the sequel with David Heyman, Steve Kloves and Lionel Wigram; it will be released globally in 2D and 3D in select theaters and IMAX.
Meanwhile, in 2019, Universal Orlando Resort will replace the Dragon Challenge with a thrill ride that will "redefine the category" of roller coasters. "The new attraction will be one of the most highly-themed coaster experiences we've created," a rep said in 2017. "It will combine a new level of storytelling with an action-packed adventure…and a few surprises along the way."
(E! and Universal Orlando Resort are both members of the NBCUniversal family.)