Jude Law on crafting a different Dumbledore for Fantastic Beasts
The star says it was "important to free ourselves from the Dumbledore we knew".
Jude Law returns once again to play Albus Dumbledore in the upcoming third entry in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, which is subtitled The Secrets of Dumbledore.
As in the previous film, this Dumbledore is a much younger version of the character played by Richard Harris and Michael Gambon in the original Harry Potter series, as we find him doing battle with his former ally Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen).
And speaking to RadioTimes.com and other press at a virtual press conference ahead of the release, Law explained how it was important to craft a different version of the iconic wizard for these films.
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"The major lure was just the opportunity to fill in gaps and go back and explore themes and sides of his character that were hinted at in the books and suggested in the films and what have you," he explained, before revealing that he had rewatched the original movies multiple times.
He went on to say: "But I think, honestly, it was kind of important to free ourselves from the Dumbledore we knew because he wasn't quite that man yet.
"At the same time, there were definite qualities that both Richard Harris and Michael Gambon gave the character that I wanted to steal, I suppose. This sort of humour and the relish of life and impish behaviour, but both of them have a sort of gravitas, a sort of soulfulness that I thought was really beautiful and complicated."
Law also spoke more specifically about some of the obstacles that Dumbledore is faced with at this stage of his life, claiming that he was still "confronting and resolving his demons".
"In this film, in particular, he's facing the past, he's facing himself, his own guilt," he said. "But if there was a quality that links him, I would say it's his mischievousness, his humour and his belief in people – he sees the positive.
"You think how Dumbledore believed in Draco [Malfoy], he believed even in Tom Riddle, you know, he sees the good, or the potential good. And I think that's something that he's always had."
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore will be released in UK cinemas on Friday 8th April 2022. Visit our Movies hub for more news and features and find something to watch tonight with our TV Guide.
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Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
