We’ve got a good news, bad news situation here, friends. First, the good news — which is actually great news: An official casting announcement for the sequel to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them has apparated online, revealing several new and returning cast members for Newt Scamander’s next adventure. Among the newcomers are a pair of mysterious roles played by Jessica Williams and Claudia Kim.

You’re probably wondering about that bad news. Johnny Depp is reprising his role as evil wizard Gellert Grindelwald; to be fair, at least Depp is playing a role he can strongly identify with — a villain.

But the remaining lineup for the Fantastic Beasts sequel is, well, fantastic. Returning cast members include Eddie Redmayne as magizoologist Newt Scamander, Katherine Waterston and Alison Sudol as Tina and Queenie Goldstein, Dan Fogler as No-Maj Jacob Kowalski (last seen running a bakery after having his memory wiped clean), Carmen Ejogo as Seraphina Picquery, and Ezra Miller as Credence. That last one is mighty interesting given the conclusion of the previous film.

five-film series are
Jude Law as young Albus Dumbledore,
Zoe Kravitz as Leta Lestrange (you may recall her tiny, brief cameo in the first film), Callum Turner as Theseus Scamander, Claudia Kim as “a woman in a wizarding circus,” and Jessica Williams and Fiona Glascott in unspecified roles. Williams seems pretty ecstatic about the news:

Here’s the first official plot synopsis for the sequel, which will take the action from America to London and Paris:

J.K. Rowling wrote the screenplay for the film, which opens in 1927, a few months after Newt helped to unveil and capture the infamous Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald.  However, as he promised he would, Grindelwald has made a dramatic escape and has been gathering more followers to his cause—elevating wizards above all non-magical beings.  The only one who might be able to stop him is the wizard he once called his dearest friend, Albus Dumbledore.  But Dumbledore will need help from the wizard who had thwarted Grindelwald once before, his former student Newt Scamander.  The adventure reunites Newt with Tina, Queenie and Jacob, but his mission will also test their loyalties as they face new perils in an increasingly dangerous and divided wizarding world.

The press release also promises some “surprising nods to the Harry Potter stories that will delight fans of the books and film series.” Fantastic, indeed.

2 Fantastic Beasts 2 Furious (or whatever they call it) will hit theaters on November 16, 2018.

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