If you weren’t paying attention duringFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, you might’ve missedZoe Kravitz. The actress, who joined the film in a last-minute casting, was seen as Leta Lestrange, Newt’s former love, but she only appeared in the framed photo he kept of her in his enchanted man cave. According to directorDavid Yates, who’s returning to helm the sequel, Leta will return inFantastic Beasts 2for a slightly larger role.
Yates toldCinemaBlendduring an interview:
Yes. Leta Lestrange comes into the second movie. She’s quite complicated and damaged and confused, and Newt is absolutely still in love with her. So, she has a kind of power over him, and she, yeah, she’s a kind of tragic figure, so we will see a bit more of her in the second movie.
We know very little about Leta beyond the trickles of information we hear inFantastic Beasts. Newt said he fell for her because they were both outsiders, while Queenie, after reading his mind, said she was a “taker” and that he needed someone who was a giver. Her last name speaks volumes, however, as it’s the last name of Bellatrix Lestrange, Voldemort’s right-hand mad woman. Bellatrix Black, Sirius Black’s cousin, became a Lestrange by marriage, and her husband, Rodolphus Lestrange, and brother-in-law, Rabastan, were both supporters of You-Know-Who. Based on the timeline, our own Adam ChitwoodsuggestedLeta could be the brothers’ mother.
Yates furtherconfirmedthat Newt (Eddie Redmayne), Tina (Katherine Waterston), Queen (Alison Sudol), Jacob (Dan Fogler), and, surprisingly, Credence (Ezra Miller) will be coming back forFantastic Beasts 2, though Newt may not always be the main character in future films. (There are four sequels planned.) We also know thatJohnny Deppwill return in a more prominent role asGellert Grindelwald, the dark wizard who made a cameo appearance in the first film, while acasting search has already begunfor a younger Dumbledore.
TheFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themsequel is already scheduled to hit theaters on August 15, 2025.
