Such is the confidence in J. K. Rowling’s ongoing Wizarding World that Warner Bros. announced four sequels to the first Fantasic Beasts film before it has hit the big screen. Desperate for a Harry Potter-esque cash cow to ride around the Hollywood Hills, it comes as no surprise that producer David Heyman would be talking up the sequels already.

As Heyman confirmed to us in the video above the narrative tendrils of Harry Potter are already making their way into the world of Fantastic Beasts. With the news that a name familiar to the millions of Potterheads is already part of the FBAWTFT world there comes confirmation today that this character will play an even bigger part in the films to come.

hagrid-spoilersIn a roundtable interview, reported by Screenrant, director David Yates said the following.

“In the second movie Dumbledore comes back. He’s got a couple of good scenes with Newt… We’re discussing who would play Dumbledore, any suggestions would be good.”

Perhaps this could be the part Johnny Depp had signed up for in the Fantastic Beasts sequel? Seemingly capable of playing twenty years above or below his actual age Depp could easily fit in to the role, however it looks fairly obviously like stunt casting. If Depp does return to the public eye following his recent domestic turmoil turning up as a younger incarnation of a much loved character doesn’t seem the logical step.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them stars Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander, and he is joined by Ezra Miller, Zoë Kravitz, Ron Perlman, Colin Farrell, Jon Voight and Katherine Waterston.

We’ll be live at the premiere of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in the next couple of weeks. The film hits cinemas on the 18th of November.