STACK #166 Aug 2018

DVD & BD FEATURE

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FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD T here was something wonderfully absurd about The cast reveals what we can expect from the new chapter in the Potterverse. their relationship,” adds Law, who plays a much younger version of the Hogwarts’ headmaster. Law says that part of the magic of joining the Potterverse was the storytelling of J.K. Rowling, and the pace with which it reveals changes in character.

GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS Ezra Miller in full pink Toadette cosplay sitting alongside Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne at the Comic-Con press conference. But it didn’t distract the star, or the assembled international media who had gathered to quiz the cast on how and where The Crimes of Grindelwald fits into J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World. With the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) at large and gathering followers, Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) enlists the help of Newt Scamander (Redmayne) to thwart Grindelwald’s plans to raise pure blood wizards up to rule over non-magical beings. “There is nothing more joyous than arriving on one of these sets. It’s imagination on steroids,” says Redmayne of returning to the role of Newt. “I love the relationship between Newt and Dumbledore [in the sequel]. Newt is entirely his own person and part of this film is a master/ apprentice thing. Newt is aware he’s being manipulated by Dumbledore, but can’t help but love him.” “It felt like were able to explore the similarities between Newt and Dumbledore with

“I felt like I knew the books pretty well, but the script is specific to this point in the character’s life. “We all know what happens to Albus in the Harry Potter stories, and there are aspects hinted at [in The Crimes of Grindelwald ]. The opportunity to tell one chapter of what is to come is extraordinary for an actor. To take your time and feel you’re in it for the long game is a luxury.” Stepping into Hogwarts for the first time was a magical moment for the actor. “When you have a relationship with a set or a place that has history, it’s extraordinary.” Of returning to the world of Fantastic Beasts, Alison Sudol, who plays Queenie Goldstein, says it was wonderful to come back, but also a little intimidating. “On the first film there was a sense of camaraderie and protection because nobody knew these characters. Now they do, there’s

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

more pressure. Certain aspects of Queenie were welcomed – so how do I make her evolve and maintain her essence, and allow her to go in the direction she needs to go?” Miller, returning as Creedence Barebone, promises the sequel will go even further into dark and terrifying worlds, and drops a teaser on the Fantastic Beasts themselves: “Niffler is back and may have babies…”

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is in cinemas on November 15.

Ezra Miller

Jackson Jr., who plays Chief Warrant Officer Barnes, also reveals himself as a Godzilla nerd. “I had the action figures as a kid. It’s

always been a part of my life, and to be part of a Godzilla film, and this one in particular with the monsters we bring in, is awesome. We jam-packed them into what I call ‘the pay- per-view of monster movies.’” While Dougherty confesses a soft spot for Rodan – “he’s always been the underdog – Jackson can’t wait for the audience to see his favourite: Godzilla’s nemesis, the mighty King Ghidorah. “There is nothing like a villain you love to hate, and there is nothing like that three-headed monster. To finally see him modernised and not a guy in a suit, I promise it should be the thing of nightmares.”

which opens with the characters played by Millie [Bobby Brown] and Vera witnessing one of Mothra’s unveilings. You first meet her in an ancient temple, which is very much a part of her mythology.” Mythology plays a major part in the story, adds Dougherty, revealing the monsters are referred to as ‘titans’. “I felt that was the appropriate name for them, because titans were the first gods. If we did discover giant monsters hibernating in the bowels of the earth, it would be like that. There’s an automatic mystery to that term.”

Writer-director Michael Dougherty promises an epic clash of the titans in this monster-sized sequel.

“I ’ve been a fan of Godzilla my Michael Dougherty. “Some of my earliest memories are watching Godzilla movies.” That makes him the perfect man for the job of bringing the big lizard back to the screen in Godzilla: King of the Monsters . Only this time, he’ll have company. As teased at the end of Kong: Skull entire life,” admits writer-director

Island , the sequel to 2014’s Godzilla reboot adds iconic Japanese kaiju Mothra, Rodan and the three-headed King Ghidorah to this growing screen MonsterVerse, with stars Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown and O’Shea Jackson Jr., caught up in the face-off between these colossal beasts. “I was very faithful to the original films,” says Dougherty. “Mothra is portrayed as a goddess in this film,

Godzilla: King of the Monsters is due in May 2019.

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AUGUST 2018

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