The trailer for the second installment of the Fantastic Beasts franchise, The Crimes Of Grindelwald dropped Tuesday, and is a sight for sore Potterhead eyes. The minute-and-a-half preview takes us back to Hogwarts, introduces us to young Dumbledore (Jude Law), but has surprisingly very little of its titular character. That's less shocking, however, when you remember Grindelwald is played by Johnny Depp. Both Warner Bros. and JK Rowling herself stand by their decision to cast the actor, who has denied accusations by ex-wife Amber Heard of domestic abuse, with director David Yates telling Entertainment Weekly that "Whatever accusation was out there doesn’t tally with the kind of human being I’ve been working with."
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But despite this defense, they aren't exactly parading him around in this new trailer. There are only two shots of Grindelwald: one from behind, and one slightly longer shot from the front that shows the wizard in the back of a carriage on the receiving end of two wands. The rest of the trailer is dedicated to Newt Scamander and his relationship with Dumbledore, as well as glimpses of new characters like Zoë Kravitz as Leta Lestrange and Callum Turner as Scamander's brother, Theseus.
This omission isn't out of character for the franchise. Since publicity began for the sequel, Depp has barely appeared. He's been left out of first look photos, and the teaser poster also doesn't include the actor:
While he may barely appear in this first trailer, Depp is in the movie, and those who have read the Harry Potter series knows Grindelwald continues to play a significant role in the history of the Wizarding World. As we get closer to the November 16 release date, we're bound to see more and more of him in the press material and promotion for the film.
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