The one thing that can absolutely kill the Harry Potter film universe is any over-emphasis on sexual perversion in any form.
Hollywood thinks that the superhero age has made it the absolute master of all culture but people simply won't put up with some things: violence, drug use as acceptable options, and sexuality head the list.
These are their children the entertainment media intend to meddle with. Parents will stop them cold. Keep Albus' and all these other characters' private lives private or you open Pandora's box.
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@L'osservatore
Sexual perversion huh? But on the other hand perhaps a gay child who is scared and shameful may see Dumbledore as a kindred spirit and will feel better about themself. Anyway it's JK Rowling's story and she already called it.
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@L'osservatore Sorry, just to be clear. Are you calling same-gender romance a "sexual perversion"?
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The new normal = Long Live Guilty until Proven Innocent!
Isn't it great? We've come so far.
Time for a good fist bump.
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Jude Law's best roles ever were as Dr. Watson in the two Sherlock Holmes movies. Please give us a third.
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I will have to reserve final judgement on Johnny Depp being in this movie until I have seen it (which I can’t wait to do!), but on principle I strongly object to his casting, and not because of any accusations by Amber Heard. With the first HP films Rowling made it a strict rule that only British actors be hired for the parts, with the exception of roles which were not British, like Fleur de la Cour, from the French school. Grindelwald is what, German? Austrian? He’s definitely European and Johnny Depp should not have that part. He could have been cast as an American wizard, but as Grindelwald? No way.
As for Jude Law, yes, spot on. He is a wonderful actor who is aging well like fine wine. Men in their 40’s are much more attractive than younger men. 15 or even 10 years ago Jude Law looked like a prettyboy. Now he is starting to look like a man. Yum.
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Update here. Just got finished seeing the movie, and I have to admit it. Johnny Depp is very, very, very good in the role of Grindelwald. He was a good pick and an excellent actor, fair is fair. It also occurred to me that Zoe Kravitz is American and she has the role of Leta Lestrange, of mixed French descent, definitely not from our side of the pond. She, also, did a wonderful job. Indeed, the whole cast did a great job, with the possible exception of Katherine Waterston (Tina Goldstein), who seemed like she wanted to be somehwere, anywhere, other than in this movie.
Yes, there is a ton of story here, but it is definitely not overstuffed as some reviewers have said, the multiple plots are not hard to follow (assuming you are a fan of the Potter universe), and true fans will be pleased. Very pleased. Once again, in Rowling’s world, it’s all about LOVE. Whom you love, whom you are allowed to love, whom you are forbidden to love, what happens when love is denied and what happens when love is witheld. A life wherein a person never experiences love can have tragic and perhaps deadly consequences that extend far beyond into the world at large. JK is setting up another journey for us to take these next 6 years. She is brilliant.
And for those uptight twats who think it’s all about sex? No. It’s all about love. A far stronger magic that the mind cannot comprehend and definitely cannot control. Enjoy!!!
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Why do "pretty" male actors like Jude Law still get to make movies even after they are over the hill regarding their looks.
Unlike female actors whose careers must end upon reaching 4O?
Is it simply because young heterosexual women want to marry their daddies?
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You have that backwards, Toby. It's not that young things want to marry their fathers. Older male actors get to play against younger women because men would like to bed their daughters.
(Isn't that what our president said about his daughter? So it must be true.)
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@TOBY
It is because as a society we value a women's youth
over anything else. It is sexism, nothing more and nothing less.
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@TOBY Umm, yeah.
I am the only one who reads this and thinks, 'yeah, spectacular actor but creep alert'? Like really all, could he have dodged the Allen question any more, and did everyone forget about his treatment of Sienna Miller?
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@Simmscm
No creep alert here. I greatly respect him as an actor and as a person. I don't base my opinion of him on 20 year-old tabloid stories. He tends to dodge controversial questions because he knows better than anyone how easy it is to have his words twisted in the press. Why does he owe us an explanation about Allen or anyone else? Look at who he is now--by all accounts, a devoted father in a steady relationship, and a versatile actor in his prime.
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Law is great in everything. Glad to hear a sequel to The Young Pope is in the works. I don't try to keep up with all the new shows (broadcast, cable and streaming) but The Young Pope was well worth the time.
Likewise, TNT's wonderful, overlooked Animal Kingdom, with outstanding work by Ellen Barkin and her "boys." They put the 'funk' in disfunction.
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Jude Law makes every movie he's in better, no matter the size of the role, no matter what kind of character he's playing. He was astounding in The Young Pope.
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I want to see the "shelved" Woody Allen movie. Woody Allen is one of the greatest directors of the last 50 years. He has made some utterly fantastic movies. He has written some hilarious short stories and wonderful essays. I remember going to Woody Allen movies where the audience would cheer as soon as he appeared on the screen. He is an icon, a great master. He's made some flops, good for him. At least he tried and kept going as an artist. Every now and then, at his age, he graces us with another terrific film. His personal life is none of our business. His marriage is none of our business. What Jude Law thinks about his family mess is totally irrelevant. Good for Jude Law for refusing to indulge the question, and what was the point of asking it in the first place? Maybe one day, this "shelved" movie will be released. How many of his other great movies would have never been released if put out in today? One can only imagine.
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Bravo to you Mr. Schmidt. I agree. Who cares ?
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Yes, an artist’s personal life is none of our business. But if Allen is a child molester (unproven), how does his body of work negate that fact? Do we, going forward, excuse sexual predators because they make good movies or write good books or symphonies? If so, then we have to excuse the sexual predator who’s just a good accountant. Or even a mediocre one. A very slippery slope indeed.
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As Dr Judith Herman, international trauma expert, put it in her seminal work, Trauma and Recovery, there is no middle ground. You either stand with the survivor or the perpetrator. If you don’t stand with the survivor, you’re standing with the perpetrator. If you have a family member, who reports sexual abuse, wonder how you’d feel if people said who cares.
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Jude Law is a terrific actor. I'm pleased to hear there's a sequel to The Young Pope. He reminds me of Alain Delon, also an excellent actor whose good looks did not get in the way of finding wonderful roles like the Jean-Pierre Melville movies (Le Samourai, etc.) or Joseph Losey's M. Klein or Visconti's Rocco and His Brothers. Jude Law needs to find those roles. Casting directors need to find him.
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@Christine i so agree. i loved alain delon and simply adore jude. i've met him several times and have to tell you that not only is he a beautiful man but so charismatic and just plain sweet. very intelligent as well.
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His looks are fine but his voice is wonderful.
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I've seen Jude Law on Broadway and in most his movies - he's a brilliant actor, lit from within. He brings an aliveness and a hyper- presence like no other actor working today. He's the sole reason I'll go see the new Fantastic Beast. No matter what, seeing him work is worth it.
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Jude Law is a good enough actor and a charming enough personality that we forgive him his good looks. I think his real achievement in film is that his good looks have become an afterthought to his talent. By making good films, he's gone from being a handsome man who can act to a good actor who is also handsome.
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I'd enjoy hearing from the photographer who took these shots, Clement Pascal. What goes through a photographer's mind on a shoot like this? How were the choices made? Did you really use film, as some of the images suggest? Beautifully done!
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