JK Rowling confirms Dumbledore will be back in Harry Potter spin-off films
JK Rowling. (Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images)
JK Rowling has hinted that the relationship between gay wizard characters Dumbledore and Grindelwald will be central to her upcoming Harry Potter spin-off films.
Rowling has penned the script for upcoming film Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, starring Eddie Redmayne, which is set in the same universe as the Harry Potter films but takes place in 1920s New York
The setting of the film rules out the return of many fan favourites from the Potter franchise, who were not alive in the 1920s – but some speculated speculating that the film could feature a young version of beloved headmaster Albus Dumbledore, who would have been alive during the time period.
Nuggets in already-published Potter books suggest links between the lead character Newt Scamander and the iconic Hogwarts headmaster – who is revealed to have written the foreword for the author’s most successful textbook.
However, following years of speculation, JK Rowling confirmed that beloved fan favourite character Dumbledore will be making an appearance in the new five-film series.
Rowling said the films will explore more of the relationship between Dumbledore and dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald, which was hinted at in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
In a live-stream, producer David Heyman revealed: “We can’t tell you too because we’d have to kill you all… but we do mention Dumbledore and he features in a wonderful scene between Colin [Farrell] and Eddie [Redmayne].
“Grindelwald does feature in the background and is going to become a much more prominent feature moving forward.”
JK Rowling hinted: “I can tell you that we do talk about Dumbledore and Grindelwald.
“I’m not allowed to say too much but I can say one thing… we were doing some script sessions the other day, and we always knew it would be more than one movie. But I’ve now done the plotting properly, and we’re pretty sure it’s going to be five movies.”
It is unclear who will be reprising the role of Dumbledore if he does appear on-screen, or in which of the five films he will appear.
