Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald Airs on TF1

Directed by David Yates and penned by J.K. Rowling, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) expands the wizarding universe, continuing directly from Fantastic Beasts. Featuring actors like Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, and Dan Fogler, along with the debut of Jude Law as a young Albus Dumbledore, this second installment hit theaters in France on November 14, 2018. It will be broadcast on TF1 on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at 9:10 PM, offering viewers a journey into a time long before Harry Potter.

Just a few months after his arrest, dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald manages to escape, as he predicted. Gathering followers along the way, he heightens tensions between wizards and Muggles, driven by ambitions that go far beyond mere secrecy: he aims to establish the dominance of a pure-blood elite and shift the balance of the magical world.

Confronted with this rising threat, Albus Dumbledore understands he can't face it alone. He calls upon Newt Scamander, the only one who has previously thwarted Grindelwald’s schemes. Newt agrees to assist his former professor, unaware of the full scope of dangers ahead. The mission reassembles old alliances, tests personal bonds, and forces each character to confront the true meaning of loyalty in a wizarding world increasingly divided.

The trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

As the second spin-off from the Harry Potter series and the tenth film set in the Wizarding World, this installment continues to expand both geographically and politically from the first movie. Set in 1927, the story shifts part of its focus to Europe, especially Paris, chosen for its more direct connection between magic and everyday life in J.K. Rowling’s universe. The film also introduces a fresh array of creatures, welcoming back characters beloved from the first film, while also delving into the rise of a new antagonist who commands attention more through charisma than outright terror, even as they reveal their true face.

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• Top cinemas in Paris

On the production side, the film was primarily shot at Warner Studios in Leavesden, UK, a location long associated with the Harry Potter universe. The focus was on detailed set reconstructions and visual extensions, especially for depicting 1920s Paris. The mythical creatures blend references from various mythologies with animation techniques, supported by puppet work on set to help actors and crew establish tangible reference points.

In its tone, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald leans into a darker, more politically charged narrative, where the conflict extends beyond a simple wizard hunt to a battle for influence. The film manages to engage fans of dazzling fantasy while also appealing to viewers who have been following a saga gradually shifting from adventure storytelling to exploring ideological divides and moral dilemmas.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Movie | 2018
Release in theaters: November 14, 2018
Airs on TF1 on Tuesday, February 17, 2026 at 9:10 PM
Adventure, fantasy | Duration: 2h14
Directed by David Yates | Starring Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Jude Law, Johnny Depp
Original title: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Countries: United States, United Kingdom

Placing Norbert Dragonneau at the center of a conflict that extends beyond his magical creatures, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald continues to expand the Wizarding World into a broader saga. Here, the stakes are no longer just about safeguarding a secret, but about preventing an ideology from taking hold. The broadcast on TF1 offers a timely opportunity to revisit this pivotal chapter before the saga's subsequent developments unfold.

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