Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore Trailer Breakdown

Today Warner Bros. released the new trailer for "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore," and I'm going to use my years-long addiction to the "Harry Potter" universe to break it down for you. You know Harry Potter? The boy wizard whose story was told by someone ... can't remember the name of this terrible person. "The Secrets of Dumbledore" is the third film in the "Fantastic Beasts" series, and stars Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Callum Turner, Jessica Williams, Katherine Waterston, and Mads Mikkelsen, who has taken over the role of Grindelwald for Johnny Depp.

Here is the synopsis, so you know what you're looking at:

Professor Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) knows the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) is moving to seize control of the wizarding world. Unable to stop him alone, he entrusts Magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) to lead an intrepid team of wizards, witches and one brave Muggle baker on a dangerous mission, where they encounter old and new beasts and clash with Grindelwald's growing legion of followers. But with the stakes so high, how long can Dumbledore remain on the sidelines?

Now, let's take a look at that new trailer! 

As we begin, the voice of an older Dumbledore ("Harry Potter" era) reminds us about the importance of memory with a shot of Hogwarts and Dumbledore (the older one) looking into a pensive, the pool that stores memories. Then young Dumbledore (Law) holds the blood pact necklace with the chain wrapped around his wrist. We know that Dumbledore and Grindelwald (Mikkelsen) made this pact as young men, and we also know that Dumbledore was in love with him. This pact means they cannot fight each other, which is super helpful for Grindelwald's plans to go to war with the Muggles, the scoundrel. 

We see a shot of Hogwarts, with a golden snitch and a Gryffindor student flying through, looking for it. It's good to know that, despite the drama in the wizarding world, Quidditch matches and practice aren't getting canceled. I guess we're visiting the school for wizards and witches again in the third film.

Next Professor McGonagall enters — no, she is not the correct age to be here since she started teaching in the mid-1950s, but that's a debate for another time — and tells Dumbledore that she had disturbing news, and it's about Grindelwald (in the form of Mads Mikkelsen). He says, "The time is close, my brothers and sisters," as we get a shot of a longer-haired Credence (Miller) trying to get a phoenix to land on his hand. As you may recall, he's a Dumbledore relative, and phoenixes appear to Dumbledores in times of great need.

Newt Scamander is seen running up the stairs of a town (maybe in Bhutan?) that leads to a high tower, where Grindelwald is proclaiming the start of the war against the Muggles. He's clearly won something because we can see green smoke fireworks above the tower and flags with his face on them. 

As we see a shot of a very sad and sort of battered Newt, we hear that the world as we knew it is coming undone, which seems to be a regular occurrence in the Harry Potter universe. Grindelwald is seen doing something with what appears to be the memories (going by the way they're designed in the universe — as wispy white strands) out of Yusuf Kama (William Nadylam). Then we cut to a street battle between Dumbledore and Grindelwald, though they can't hurt each other at this point ... or can they? They're messing with the buildings in a very Doctor Strange in "No Way Home" way. 

Then we see Professor Eulalie "Lally" Hicks (Williams) of Ilvermorny going to recruit Jacob (Fogler) from his bakery to help in the war. He's out of the whole wizard thing, he tells her, but Lally says as she reappears in front of him, "You do know I'm a witch, right?" She's eating one of his baked goods, and now I want cinnamon rolls.

A train whistles through the countryside, and while it's not the Hogwarts Express, it certainly is a callback to that. 

Cut to inside the train, and we see Newt giving Jacob a wand that Dumbledore has asked him to pass on. Of course, Jacob is a Muggle, and he's had a rough time of it since he met magic users. His love Queenie (Sudol) has gone to the Dark side (wrong franchise) and joined forces with Grindelwald. He's super happy about that wand though. Wouldn't you be?

There's a shot of a streetcar, and then of our gang walking through a bureaucratic office building and getting shut out of a room, then a shot of Grindelwald with his minions including Queenie, whose hair is now platinum. Evil is the best hair dye. It appears to be a gala of some sort. Overall of that is Theseus Scamander (Turner) sarcastically joking about their unlikely band of heroes and adding, "Who wouldn't like our chances?" Then Jacob drinks a shot of Gigglewater and giggles. It's adorable. 

We then see Aberforth Dumbledore looking at a mirror that has ghostly writing appearing as though someone is writing with a finger on condensation.

Warner Bros.

Bunty (Victoria Yates) shows up in a traveling outfit and tells Newt that no one can know everything, not even him. Of course, while we all know that Bunty is in love with Newt, that's definitely one of the things he doesn't know, though I doubt that's what she means here. Then we see a shot of her walking with Newt's suitcase, which is probably is what she's talking about.

Dumbledore walks through that town with the tower and catches a golden snitch. What that's doing there is a mystery, but he doesn't look as happy as people usually are to catch one of those things. We see those Grindelwald symbols appear in green light and smoke at what appears to be a rally like the one at the end of the second film. I'm not sure what language that writing is in, but here it is so you can decide for yourself. It could be Dzongkha if this is in Bhutan, which we know is in the film, but there are a lot of languages spoken there and I am no expert.

Warner Bros.

There is a shot of a fancy car with a winged serpent on the hood that moves. (I want a wizard car!) Grindelwald is being carried through a crowd/crowd surfing, and if this isn't a look at the rise of fascism, I'll eat some Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans without a flavor guide. 

Then, the most intriguing thing: we see Dumbledore and Grindelwald sitting in a cafe together and Grindelwald says, "With or without you, I'll burn down their world." Now, the question is why Grindelwald would think Dumbledore would help at all. Are we going to get a real discussion about their past relationship? It would be about time. Of course, the cafe appears to burn down with Dumbledore in it, so maybe he's imagining it. I hope not. We've been waiting for this for a long time, and I want to see it on screen.

The dream team of Jacob, Lally, Newt, Theseus, Dumbledore, and Bunty are then together, being sucked into a portkey, which appears to be maybe a giant prayer wheel, which could explain where we were seeing that tower and town. (This takes place in, as the teaser said a while back, "the room that we require") As Dumbledore asks people to go with him talking about how he hopes they're alive by tea time, Jacob volunteers first saying, "My pleasure." Clearly, something has changed since the beginning of the trailer.

Ah, but then there is a shot of a very sad-looking Credence, and Dumbledore has a wand pointed to the back of his head. There is that phoenix flying overhead again as well. Then it switches to another place, with Credence lashing out at Dumbledore with his wand, and Grindelwald asking if Dumbledore really intends to turn his back on his own. Ick. Dumbledore holds up what appears to be a Deluminator, and the scene of them in a darker version of the street sort of flips so you can see that was the reflection of what was really going on in a puddle. 

Back to the cafe where Grindelwald says it was Dumbledore who said they could reshape the world, then a shot of Dumbledore holding the blood pact. So this could be in Dumbledore's head, or it could really be an in-person meeting since they can't hurt each other. 

Newt says, "Even if we make mistakes, we can try to make things right."

There is a big magic explosion with Credence (he's in the next shot cutting what appears to be a magical shield), Vinda Rosier (Poppy Corby-Tuech, Grindelwald's right-hand woman) and a few other people. Newt yells, "Accio," to get his suitcase, so this is likely an attack on a magical beast. Vinda shoots a bolt of magic at him, then we see him running through a bamboo forest, holding a small creature of some sort, but it's very blurry. Then a shot of Pickett! Hi Pickett!

There is a shot of Grindelwald shooting his wand while he's in some sort of pool in a building, and what appears to be Credence and Vinda and one other person. He appears outside the water after that, having moved with magic. 

Lally and Theseus are in that tower town now, each holding a suitcase that is identical to Newt's! Lally is shooting what looks like balls of glass or water out of her wand, knocking over a bunch of baddies, and trapping a man inside a wall. I know it's magic and fake, but that one creeps me out a whole lot. 

Then we see Newt and Theseus in a pit with a giant blast-ended Skrewt leg flying off. (We know what they are from the teaser.) Newt says they need some help, and then we see Teddy the Niffler running with something in his mouth and Pickett on his back. A flying creature that doesn't look like a phoenix is flying what I think is Newt over the water. It quickly cuts to Dumbledore and Grindelwald fighting with wands, Kama, and a bunch of wizards holding up wands.

There is a shot of what I believe is Maria Fernanda Cândido as Vicência Santos holding up her wand as well. Then there are what appears to be a box of books that attack a group of wizards, and considering some books they give to children could bite your hand off, that tracks. 

More blast-ended Skrewt shots with Theseus falling off a ledge, then back to Dumbledore and Credence fighting. We're just jumping all over the place here. Then there is a phoenix (maybe Dumbledore's) hovering in the air in front of him. 

Dumbledore asks Jacob if he's enjoying his wand, then we see him at that gala, shooting it into the sky. Wait, can he do that? Maybe someone else is doing the magic, and if so, I think it's Queenie of the Marilyn Monroe hair who looks very sad. Dishes are flying around the room and then another shot has Jacob asking Dumbledore if he can keep the wand. Dumbledore laughs, so I would assume this is a lighter moment or the end of the film. 

My only quibble (heh) is that a certain person's name is featured prominently in the trailer. I don't need to tell you who that is, do I? 

"Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" will hit theaters on April 15, 2022.