The latest featurette for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore puts the spotlight on dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald, as played — now, at least — by Mads Mikkelsen.
The recasting of the franchise’s main villain has been one of the major talking points in the run-up the the release of the third installment, with fans fascinated to see how Mikkelsen’s interpretation of Dumbledore’s evil ex differs from Johnny Depp’s.
With the movie finally hitting theaters in the U.S. this coming weekend, this new featurette offers a taste at what’s next for the regenerated big bad, as Mikkelsen offers some insight into his mindset and role in the story. “Grindelwald is a man who wants to make the world a better place,” the former Hannibal star argues in the promo, which you can watch above. “The means by which he wants to achieve that is not necessarily what everybody else is agreeing on.”
Mikkelsen continues to defend his character by reminding us that Grindelwald’s fascistic tendencies are fueled by the muggle world’s traditional “brutal” persecution of witches. Fans will know that the young Gellert and Albus Dumbledore once agreed on this viewpoint, but whereas Albus grew wiser and more peace-loving over time, his opposite number’s “hatred grew stronger and stronger.”
After The Crimes of Grindelwald skirted over the pair’s romantic history, The Secrets of Dumbledore is set to make it more explicit. According to Mikkelsen, “Dumbledore and Grindelwald have created some very strong bonds. And they were sharing a common dream… and then it shattered.” He goes on to state that, now they are on opposite sides of the Wizarding War, the former lovers “represent the two sides of the storm.”
Although it’s already out in U.K. cinemas, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore enters domestic screens from this Friday, April 15. Unfortunately, box office predictions aren’t looking stellar, leading to speculation the saga may be cut short.