We had the chance to sit down 1-on-1 with star Colin Farrell today to discuss his excellent work in the brilliant indie satire The Lobster, which A24 will release in theaters on May 13. That gave us the opportunity to briefly discuss his performance in Warner Bros. Pictures‘ hotly-anticipated Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, in which he plays Percival Graves.
Farrell clearly had a fantastic time with the part, praising stars Eddie Redmayne and Ezra Miller as well as Harry Potter series director David Yates. However, he seemed legitimately unaware of whether he would reprise the role of Graves in Warners’ planned sequels, currently dated for release on November 16, 2018 and November 20, 2020. Do you think Farrell is playing coy, or is Graves likely a one-and-done character? Check out the interview below!
ComingSoon.net: You’ve got “Fantastic Beasts” coming out. Have you seen any of it?
Colin Farrell: Nothing. Just the trailer.
CS: Are you already lined up for Part 2?
Farrell: No, I don’t know what’s happening. As far as I knew it’s standalone. I don’t know what their intentions are.
CS: From what I’ve heard the intention is to do another one two years later and then Part 3 two years after that.
Farrell: Oh really? Yeah, I’d be surprised if they didn’t. (laughs)
CS: But you’re only signed for one movie?
Farrell: Jeez, I can’t even think straight now. Not quite sure. I’ll text David Yates and find out.
CS: You’ve done your fair share of franchise roles. Does this feel like the most “sure thing” you’ve ever done?
Farrell: I mean you put that theme music up and J.K. Rowling and welcome back to a world of magic… It’s part of the Harry Potter universe. There’s no sure things. There are sometimes things that are surprise successes and there are things that were designed purely for box office success that don’t work. This would be as sure a thing as possible but there are no sure things.
CS: It was a good experience, though?
Farrell: I loved it, yeah! I had fun doing it.
CS: Working with Eddie.
Farrell: Yeah, he was great, Eddie and Ezra. David Yates is an extraordinary man and filmmaker who kinda feels like a protector of the kingdom. He’s so well-versed in the mythology of that world and has a deep affinity for the characters and the lore of it. He was great to be around.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them stars Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Colin Farrell, Jenn Murray, Jon Voight, Carmen Ejogo, Gemma Chan and newcomer Faith Wood-Blagrove.
The story opens in 1926 as Newt Scamander has just completed a global excursion to find and document an extraordinary array of magical creatures. Arriving in New York for a brief stopover, he might have come and gone without incident…were it not for a No-Maj (American for Muggle) named Jacob, a misplaced magical case, and the escape of some of Newt’s fantastic beasts, which could spell trouble for both the wizarding and No-Maj worlds.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is being produced by David Heyman, producer of all eight of the blockbuster Harry Potter features; J.K. Rowling; Steve Kloves, who scripted all but one of the Harry Potter films; and Lionel Wigram, who served as an executive producer on the last four installments of the franchise. Rowling herself is supplying the screenplay.
Warner Bros. Pictures has the first Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them set for a worldwide release in 3D and IMAX on November 18, 2016.
