Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald debuted in theatres last week and woke up to the tune of a polarizing reaction. Garnering the poorest reviews for a Wizarding World film, many fans have questioned several of the film’s decisions. One in particular though has caused massive discussions amongst the Harry Potter community.
SPOILERS FOLLOW FOR FANTASTIC BEASTS 2:
The ending of the film see’s Grindelwald reveal to Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller) that he is in fact Aurelius Dumbledore, presumed brother of Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law). Now, Ezra Miller has broken his silence on the massive twist in an interview with Entertainment Weekly:
“I was shocked, stunned, confused, petrificus totalus with wonder and fascination. And I still have a lot of questions for which I have no answers.”
Apparently, Miller first learned about his character’s identity when the Fantastic Beasts team was promoting the release of the original film in 2016. Author J.K. Rowling filled him in on the initial details regarding Creedence’s true heritage. Going into the second film, he says the knowledge that he’s a Dumbledore (which yes, is true) caused him to tweak his performance slightly:
“Yes, on a certain, a very, very subtle level. This character is changing, going through physical changes in relation to the Obscurial, [with] which we know he has an unusual relationship. So as he changes, there’s an opportunity for me as an actor to look to five of my favorite performances of all time — the people I’ve seen play Albus and Aberforth. Shout out to all those incredible actors, and I’m thrilled to play the game that we’re now blood relations. It’s very fun. And there’s a funny connection to the name Aurelius given one of the actors who played Dumbledore.”
Ezra Miller assured fans who have noted the inconsistencies with the twist that J. K. Rowling does not deliver surprises without an explanation planned:
“She knows the mythology so well and I think she’s into confounding you for a moment and having a fan go, ‘wait that can’t make sense!’ and then showing you how things you thought couldn’t make sense make sense. I think she enjoys people not getting it for a second. She’s done it to us a bunch of times.”
What did you think of the twist? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is now playing in theaters
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