Transcript of interview taken on the set of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore – all copyright to Warner Bros.
– On FB3’s Plot Points
“Everyone’s in Berlin because we’re there to fight the good fight against Grindelwald and everything that Grindelwald stands for, and I guess, ultimately, to save the world. And then on a personal note, Grindelwald had killed Leta at the end of the last film, and so Theseus is determined to get justice.”
– On The Team To Take On Grindelwald
“What I like about Theseus is that he’s, up until this point, been quite clear on his intentions and how he wants to do good for the wizarding world. And we meet him at a crisis point and he’s having to change the ideology in his mind and discover a new route to do the same job. And that flexibility I really love about him; and he’s grounded, and he’s truthful.”
– On Theseus And Newt’s Relationship
“Between the brothers, they’re re-entering a stage in their relationship that they haven’t been at for a long time, probably since they were kids – both of them trying to be more open with the other; I’d say that Theseus maybe a little bit more than Newt. And they’re developing an understanding and respect for the way the other person thinks, and using that for the greater good.”
– On Working With Eddie Redmayne
“Me and Eddie, all we do is play the whole time. We’re in the makeup trailer together so from the moment we both walk in, it’s just play play play play play, tease tease tease tease tease – but with an understanding that there’s like a deeper thing there. We’ve really managed to build, and build it quite quickly, but we’ve built this relationship that’s really special, and I think that’s part of the acting, but [also] part of who we are. He’s very giving, and loving, and honest, and, yeah, I love working with him as well. I just love working on these films.”
– On Working With David Yates
“Building the character with David Yates is really beautiful. I love working with David because he’s such a hands-on director but he gives you so much freedom with it too, and I love watching him work. He’s juggling so much, and we were talking about it yesterday how a scene on the page, it can look like, ‘Newt walks up, asks for something and leaves’, and then he manages to turn it into this real magical, beautiful, cinematic experience for people. I’m in full admiration of David because he sees things that are beyond my wildest dreams and gives us so much to play with and work with.”
– On Stuart Craig’s Sets
“Stuart Craig has designed some incredible sets. The German Ministry of Magic, that set we shot on last week was extraordinary inside, and then again today, really leaning in to the architecture and the way of the time. It’s art, because he welcomes you into a space that you then start to believe is real.”
– On FB3’s Themes
“There’s families coming together; relationships being repaired, relationships being built; we’ve got new characters like Lally; we’ve got lovers hopefully rekindling their romance. There’s a lot of love and a lot of joy, and we’re hoping that the light side can defeat the dark side.”
– On What Fans Will Like
“The beasts and the Nifflers are back in full force and raging. You get to see what Newt’s up to, and the development of Newt, and then also you get to see Dumbledore and how Dumbledore became Dumbledore on a deeper level than ever before. I think that’s fascinating and I think, to be able to see that relationship in real time play out, and I watched those guys, Jude and Mads, and there’s a real connection, a real spark there, and it’s so fascinating the way that they’re able to tap in to whatever’s going on for them. It’s really interesting and beautiful to watch.”
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore will be available to buy on DVD/BluRay/4K from Monday July 25th.
