There’s magic in the air – and we’re not referring to the Christmas spirit.
Via Total Film, Warner Bros. has today summoned an all-new image for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, in which Newt Scamander reunites with an old friend.
That ally in question is, of course, Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler), a Muggle companion who felt the wrath of Colin Farrell’s Percival Graves towards the end of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. But in a cruel twist of fate, because Fogler’s veteran bore witness to MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America) and those beasts that were let loose on New York City, Seraphina Picquery ordered his memory to be erased – otherwise it may have exposed the wizarding world hiding in plain sight.
But for all of the trials and tribulations that Jacob has endured, Dan Fogler’s upstanding citizen is back, back, back for The Crimes of Grindelwald, and below you’ll see him alongside Newt Scamander. Clearly in a hurry, both characters are seen walking along the streets of what appears to be 1920s Paris, which aligns with David Yates’ previous comments about the sequel’s European setting.
Check it out in the gallery below, along with a few previously released pics:
Beyond that, it’s difficult to wean any tangible story clues from this photo alone. Jacob Kowalski is clutching onto a bucket of some sort, so we imagine it contains something precious, while it’s entirely possible that Newt and his Muggle friend are actually scouring the streets of Paris for an escaped beast. Hell, it could even be lifted from the same sequence as that action shot that placed Newt in the sewer.
Nevertheless, with Jude Law and Johnny Depp on board to play Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald, respectively, Fantastic Beasts 2 is poised to drastically expand the Harry Potter prequel saga, and it’s important to note that Newt Scamander won’t always be the focal point of Warner’s franchise.
Because with another three sequels already on the cards, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald is merely the second chapter in a five-part saga. And it’ll be with us on November 16th, 2018.