The first full trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald has been released and it promises a magical thrill-ride into a dark world on the brink of war. The second of this five-film series opens November 16, 2018 and raises the question: Who will stand against the darkness?

The trailer opens with sweeping views of Hogwarts. But before nostalgia can fully take over, Aurors begin appearing on the bridge. They are there to question Dumbledore (Jude Law), a teacher at Hogwarts, about the whereabouts of his former student Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne). They believe Newt is headed to Paris on Dumbledore’s orders. Dumbledore replies, “If you’d ever had the pleasure to teach him, you’d know Newt is not a great follower of orders.”

The Aurors’ interest in Newt’s whereabouts stems from the fact that Grindelwald (Johnny Depp), the dark wizard captured by Newt at the end of the first film, has escaped from prison. In the trailer we see a long-haired Grindelwald in tattered clothes being transported at wand-point in a black carriage pulled by thestrals. Presumably this is moments before he will make his daring escape. Once freed, Grindelwald will return to his plans for world domination by bringing the wizards out of hiding to rule the muggles.  In a short glimpse of him after his escape he is standing in a large stone room surrounded by followers and flanked by Vinda Rosier (Poppy Corby Tuech).

Dumbledore does, in fact, meet with Newt to send him on a mission. “I can’t move against Grindelwald”, he explains. “It has to be you.” And so Newt heads to his office at the Ministry of Magic – filled with fantastic beasts – to pack his magical case and informs his friend Jacob Kowalski (the No-Maj baker from the first film) (Dan Fogler) that they are “going somewhere”.

But Newt has more than one reason to go to Paris.  Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller), the abused boy that turns out to be an obscurus in the first film, has fled to Paris to follow the Circus Arcanum. By traveling with the circus he hopes to find his biological mother. The trailer gives a quick look at the circus, and it is a wonder.

Credence is also the reason Grindelwald will head to Paris. Grindelwald wants to harness Credence’s power for his world domination plans, a power we see Credence demonstrating as he summons his obscurus.

In a thrilling end to the trailer, Newt and his Auror-brother Theseus (Callum Turner) are fighting side by side in a graveyard with some beautifully choreographed wand work!

Will you stand against the darkness?

After watching this trailer, how can you refuse?