David Yates: There’s a certain wish fulfilment element to the whole Wizarding World

Filmmaker David Yates, who has directed Warner Bros’ ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore’, has talked about the enduring appeal of the Wizarding World.

He says that there’s a certain wish fulfilment element to it.

Yates said: “It’s J.K Rowling’s capacity to create characters that are endearing and accessible and enjoyable to spend time with. And I think there’s a certain wish fulfilment element to the whole Wizarding World. It’s a bit like superhero movies that somehow channel people’s desire to do extraordinary things.”

“Everybody would love a wand and to be able to fix things and change things for the better. And I also think her stories have some very positive values baked into their DNA that make them comforting. They celebrate the acceptance of others, and highlight the value of loyalty, love, and friendship.

“That doesn’t mean she shies away from dealing with tougher subjects, authoritarianism, intolerance…and I was always struck how every Potter film I ever made ended with a death of one of the main characters. But those tough things are wrapped in light and hope.

One of the only characters who has traversed both franchises is Albus Dumbledore. Talking about how has Dumbledore evolved over the course of these films and how does that play into the title, Yates said: “The Dumbledore in this story is quite removed from the Dumbledore that we get to see in the later timeline books and movies. He’s mischievous, he’s a radical, but there is also a melancholy, which is something that Jude and I were excited to explore.”

“Dumbledore and Grindelwald at one point shared a very similar political ideology, until Dumbledore ultimatelydecided it was a dangerous set of ideas – the superiority of wizardkind over Muggles. And in breaking with that ideological view, it ended up also breaking his very deep and profound personal relationship with Grindelwald. This combined with another tragic family event, that we reveal in the course of the story, gives us a more complex Dumbledore than we’ve seen before.”

Actor Jude Law is the third actor to play Dumbledore, portraying him before he was the illustrious headmaster at Hogwarts.

On working with the actor, the director said: “Jude is a treat to work with. When you give him a note, you end up having an in-depth conversation about the motivation and about different ways of playing the moment. It’s a discourse that is incredibly stimulating and incredibly rewarding. Jude loves to have a dialogue about the character and what we’re reaching for and what he’s reaching for.

“He’s a real team player as well, just in terms of having him around on set. He’s hugely experienced, very generous, loves this character, and feels a great deal of responsibility in delivering a version of the character that the fans will appreciate and enjoy.