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Teen dream: 'Fantastic Beasts' sequel casting young unknowns

Know any teenage actors who want to help make Harry Potter history? This open casting call might be their magical break.

Gael Cooper
CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of "Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s," as well as "The Totally Sweet '90s." She's been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She's Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she'll be first in line.
Expertise Breaking news, entertainment, lifestyle, travel, food, shopping and deals, product reviews, money and finance, video games, pets, history, books, technology history, generational studies. Credentials
  • Co-author of two Gen X pop-culture encyclopedia for Penguin Books. Won "Headline Writer of the Year"​ award for 2017, 2014 and 2013 from the American Copy Editors Society. Won first place in headline writing from the 2013 Society for Features Journalism.
Gael Cooper
dumbledore1.jpg

What would a teenage Dumbledore look and act like?

Warner Bros.

Would teen Dumbledore have braces and acne, or would he simply be a shorter version of the distinguished wizard Harry Potter fans know so well? 

It's time to find out. On Tuesday, author J.K. Rowling's Pottermore site announced an open casting call for teen actors to play young versions of Albus Dumbledore, who eventually becomes headmaster of Hogwarts; Newt Scamander, star of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" and other Potter universe characters.

The roles are for "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2," which will feature Jude Law as an adult Dumbledore. In addition to a teen version of the headmaster and a teen Newt, the film is seeking teens to play young Leta Lestrange, a friend of Newt's from Hogwarts; a teen version of wizard Gellert Grindelwald and a teen named Sebastian, who's a new character.

Newt, Leta and Sebastian should be played by actors between the ages of 13 and 16, while those playing Dumbledore and Grindelwald should be between 16 and 18. No previous acting experience is necessary.

Here's the bad news for Americans: Applicants need to be eligible to work in the UK.

More information on how to apply can be found in the Pottermore post. The "Fantastic Beasts" sequel is due to hit theaters in November 2018.