How Jude Law beat three other actors to the role of Dumbledore in 'Fantastic Beasts 2'

While Johnny Depp was the first choice to play Gellert Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them franchise, Jude Law had to contend with three other actors before landing the role of Albus Dumbledore.

In fact, the British actor had to do a few screen tests for producer David Heyman and director David Yates in order to secure the gig of playing Hogwarts’ then-Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher.

“We screen-tested a few people and Jude was the standout,” Heyman explained during a Q&A following a BAFTA screening of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.

“He was great and David felt it from the first blush working with him, seeing him.”

Yates gave further details about the casting process for Dumbledore and why Law stood out.

“So each candidate, I spent a day with each of them and we screen-tested four actors including Jude,” the director said. “I did three scenes in a single day with each of them, and they all do the same scenes, and it was a case really of exploring the character with each of the actors.

“Jude just had a warmth, and a wit, and a sort of sense of grace more than anything so we gave him the gig,” he added.

Law is the third actor to play Dumbledore; Richard Harris originated the role in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets but after his death, Michael Gambon took over for the remaining six films.

The sequel in the JK Rowling film franchise stars Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law and Johnny Depp.

There are expected to be a total of five films in the Fantastic Beasts franchise which means Law is set to star in two more movies and will end up battling Depp’s Grindlewald in the highly anticipated finale.

According to the Harry Potter books, the duel took place in 1945 after Dumbledore is promoted to Hogwarts headmaster.

He wins, thus ending the global wizarding war instigated by Grindelwald and his supporters who wanted to tyrannically rule over muggles.

Fantastic Beasts 2 will show how Grindelwald rose to power through speeches, rallies and murderous behaviour while Dumbledore tasks his former student Newt Scamander in finding him and Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller) before the pair get a chance to join forces.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is in cinemas this Friday 16 November

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