The star of the Fantastic Beasts films, Eddie Redmayne, has spoken out about the fact that this new installment of the franchise is basically just Ocean’s Eleven but with wizards. I think we can speak for everyone by saying this was the only thing that Steven Soderbergh’s original film was lacking. The third film in the Harry Potter spin-off, which is directed by David Yates, has been met with mixed reviews since the first film, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them hit cinemas back in 2016, but nevertheless, after some pandemic-related problems, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is due to hit US cinemas on April 15th.
The latest film, which is set a few years after its predecessor, sees Eddie Redmayne as protagonist Newt Scamander as he and his friends work together to stop the fearsome Gellert Grindelwald (now played by Mads Mikkelsen) from warring with the muggle world. The trailer has already promised a lot of magic-packed action, as well as diving into Dumbledore and Grindelwald’s former relationship, and the “blood-packed” that we have already heard so much about.
The star of Fantastic Beasts recently made an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and it was here that Redmayne began to explain how this new film was a lot different than the earlier films of the series. Redmayne described it as functioning a lot like a heist movie, particularly Ocean’s Eleven, but with that added magical aspect to it. Redmayne compared himself to Brad Pitt’s character whilst also saying Jude Law, who plays Albus Dumbledore, was very much like Danny Ocean, portrayed by George Clooney – we can already see the striking similarities, can’t we?
“What I love about this one is that it feels like a wizarding heist movie. A bit like Ocean’s Eleven but set in this magical world. Jude law is basically George Clooney, and me, well… I’m basically Brad Pitt”, explained Redmayne. This comment is clearly a little bit tongue in cheek, but it does give us an idea about what to expect in this film – heists, hijinks, and Hogwarts. With still a week left before the film comes out, there could be a similar structure to those Soderbergh films, with Jude Law being the designated leader in a team full of individual talents.
Whatever the structure of the film is, it seems to be doing the trick because the early reviews are calling it a major improvement to the second film, whilst also saying that it feels like the middle film in a potentially five-film franchise. So, make up your own mind about this film when it is released on the 15th of April.
