Fantastic Beasts 2 puts Dumbledore back in the spotlight in a big way

Production on the sequel to Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them is underway, and Warner Bros. Entertainment has released the first plot synopsis for the film. We already knew that fan-favorite wizard Albus Dumbledore would make his debut alongside returning characters like Newt Scamander, but the untitled sequel gives Dumbledore a much bigger role than expected.

Jude Law plays a much younger Dumbledore, who works alongside Eddie Redmayne’s Scamander to defeat their common enemy. That would be Gellert Grindelwald, played by Johnny Depp, who’s the most powerful dark wizard known to the magical world.

Scamander and Dumbledore become a fighting team, so expect Law and Redmayne to share top-billing. As screenwriter, J.K. Rowling is poking back into the main Harry Potter franchise to give us an expanded look at one of the series’ most important characters. Despite her reluctance to fully revisit the main Harry Potter cast, Rowling may do a better job satisfying hardcore fans with the second Fantastic Beasts film.

For those wanting to spend time with more memorable Harry Potter characters — like Ron, Hermione and, best of all, Neville Longbottom — there’s always the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.