J.K. Rowling approves of Jude Law as young Dumbledore in new Fantastic Beasts sequel

OHMYGOSSIP – Jude Law was relieved to receive the “blessing” of J.K. Rowling to portray a young Dumbledore in the new Fantastic Beasts sequel because it put his nerves at ease. The Sherlock Holmes star makes his debut as Professor Albus Dumbledore in “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” the second film in the Harry Potter prequel franchise, but he was only able to breathe easy once he knew creator Rowling was on board with his appointment, wfgxtv.com mediates.

“When the boss says, ‘I like you,’ it gives you a little bit of comfort,” he told The Associated Press. You can’t help but step into something like this, playing a part like this without feeling a sense of responsibility, a fear of letting someone down. But when the creator gives you the thumbs up, it’s a blessing.”

Jude follows in the footsteps of Richard Harris and Michael Gambon, who previously portrayed the beloved wizard in the Potter films, and his co-star Eddie Redmayne, who leads the Fantastic Beasts cast as Newt Scamander, insists his fellow Brit was perfectly cast.

“(He is) a formidable, formidable actor with great gravitas and weight and yet at the same time, he has this kind of playful quality,” the Oscar winner said. “And I’ll never forget our first scene, which was the first time we see each other in the film. I just saw his back, basically. And the way he turned around, it was instant. It was like, in one look, he had managed to inhabit that. I hadn’t had any expectations about Dumbledore. But somehow it was solidified in one look.”

“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” directed by David Yates, also features Ezra Miller, Zoe Kravitz, and Johnny Depp. It opens in theaters this week.