More Inside Information From David Heyman and the ‘Crimes of Grindelwald’ Cast!

Dec 05, 2018

Posted by: Dawn Johnson

Actor Interviews, Fandom, Fans, Fantastic Beasts, Fantastic Beasts Movie, Films, Fogler, Heyman, Heyman Interviews, Interviews, J.K. Rowling, Miller, Movies, News, Pottermore, Producers, Redmayne, Redmayne Interviews, Sudol, Waterston

The Pottermore news team had the opportunity to delve even deeper into the film Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald with producer David Heyman and cast members Alison Sudol, Eddie Redmayne, Dan Fogler, Katherine Waterston, Callum Turner and Ezra Miller, discussing both humorous behind-the-scenes details and character development.

From David Heyman…

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David Heyman discussed the nuanced relationship between Gellert Grindelwald and Albus Dumbledore, as well as the subtlety and charisma brought to the part by Jude Law. He confirmed that Law’s emotive performance and the script’s inclusion of Dumbledore’s reference to the two being “closer than brothers” both infer an intimate relationship. He observed:

“[Jude’s] charming, he’s got a bit of that twinkle, and he’s got that pain…Dumbledore is a pained, tortured character. And you don’t always read that pain and suffering on the surface, but when you see him quietly in front of that mirror [of Erised]…. that’s Jude.”

Reportedly, Heyman also downplayed the theory that the doomed ship carrying Leta and Corvus Lestrange, as well as Credence, was the Titanic, as some fans have suggested, with a seemingly definitive, “It was never discussed.”

From Alison Sudol and Dan Fogler…

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Alison Sudol revealed that she researched Queenie’s power of Legilimency on YouTube, seeking out fan breakdowns and theories about how the mind-reading ability works. She also explained that, aside from portraying Queenie’s magical talents properly, it was important to her to communicate the development of the character’s thought process as well–how Queenie emotionally and mentally justifies her shocking choice to join Grindelwald’s cause–saying:

“I knew the arc, I knew what was going to happen at the end…So I spent months going, ‘how? How does this happen? How am I going to go there?’ and just so stressed out about it. But even when I read the script, I was still shocked.”

Dan Fogler confessed that the story (and we’re guessing the shift in Queenie’s loyalties, specifically) elicited a strong reaction from him. He said:

“Oh my god, it’s really heartbreaking…I watched the movie twice, I cried twice, at least three times… and I was there!”

From Katherine Waterston and Eddie Redmayne…

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Katherine Waterston and Eddie Redmayne divulged that J.K. Rowling wrote pages of backstory for new characters. Waterston commented in amazement, “[Rowling] knows everything, there’s not even a pause; it’s there at her finger tips. It’s uncanny.”

Redmayne revealed that one of the new characters to receive such privileged information was Newt’s assistant, Bunty, played by Victoria Yeates and, apparently, Rowling indicated that the two have an interesting history. He explained:

“She and Newt clearly have a relationship and it’s quite a well-established relationship. So, Victoria and I asked Jo what their history was. The next day, three pages of original J.K. Rowling text, now kept in my safe, was written about the depths of their friendship and where it had come from and how Bunty had come to the book signing and had been obsessed with Newt.”

Very intriguing! Hopefully we’ll learn more about how Newt and Bunty met–and see more of their working dynamic–in the next film! It’s also likely we’ll continue to see Newt engage in all manner of humorous antics as he interacts with and tracks magical creatures.

In the first installment, Redmayne was called upon to woo an Erumpent with a mating dance, and in Crimes of Grindelwald, he went so far as to lick the pavement while reconstructing the Zouwu’s escape from the Circus Arcanus. Pottermore reported that he was quite the good sport about it, with Redmayne laughing, “I wanted it to be like tasting a wine.”

Read the full article from Pottermore, including Callum Turner’s take on Grindelwald and Dumbledore and Ezra Miller’s favorite fantastic beast, here.

For more on behind-the-scenes details of the film, check out Leaky’s coverage of the Crimes of Grindelwald roundtable interviews below:

David Heyman and Callum Turner | Eddie Redmayne and Katherine Waterston | Ezra Miller and Claudia Kim | Dan Fogler and Alison Sudol

Also read Leaky’s latest discussions on the major questions raised by the film, including specific theorizing on the identity of Aurelius Dumbledore and the Blood Pact, as well as an in-depth analysis of the parallels between the Fantastic Beasts and Harry Potter series.





The Leaky Cauldron is not associated with J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., or any of the individuals or companies associated with producing and publishing Harry Potter books and films.