Grindelwald’s dark army continues to swell.
Deadline is reporting that David Sakurai, Danish-Japanese star of Iron Fist, has climbed aboard to play Krall in the untitled Fantastic Beasts sequel. Directed by David Yates, with a screenplay from franchise mastermind J.K. Rowling, the 2018 follow-up takes place a few months after magizoologist Scamander helped to unveil and capture the infamous Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp), with Krall being described as an “ambitious and sulky henchman of Grindelwald.”
Still licking his wounds after a clash with the brilliant Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), we understand Fantastic Beasts 2 will open in the year 1927, when Grindelwald has staged his dramatic escape and is now in the process of recruiting more followers to his warped cause. All of this spells danger for the great Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law), who once looked to Gellert Grindelwald as a close friend and ally. How things change.
Circling back to David Sakurai’s casting, though, and Deadline didn’t disclose any further story details aside from the fact that he’ll be fighting on behalf of Grindelwald. Whether that merely involves spells and sorcery, or some hand-to-hand combat like the actor’s villainous turn in Marvel’s Iron Fist, remains to be seen.
The early logline for Fantastic Beasts 2 is as follows:
As he promised he would, Grindelwald has made a dramatic escape and has been gathering more followers to his cause. 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 Scamander.
Angled as the second chapter in Warner’s five-part prequel saga, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2 will see a release on November 16th, 2018. Subsequent instalments will likely arrive every two years, meaning the third Harry Potter spinoff ought to be with us in 2020.