With J.K. Rowling's help, Jude Law builds a new Dumbledore

When Jude Law met with J.K. Rowling about portraying the younger version of Albus Dumbledore, the two discussed how to rebuild the fan-favorite character from the "Harry Potter" films.

Law spent an afternoon jotting down notes from Rowling who talked to him about Dumbledore's life before becoming the world's most powerful wizard. The British actor walked away with a vote of confidence from the famed author, alleviating some pressure on him.

"When the boss says 'I like you,' it gives you a little bit of comfort," Law said of Rowling, screenwriter of the "Harry Potter" prequel series that is based on her 2001 book "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them." ''You can't help but step into something like this, playing a part like this without feeling a sense of responsibility, a fear of letting someone down. But when the creator gives you the thumbs up, it's a blessing."

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Jude Law in a scene from "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald." The British actor says he spent an afternoon jotting down notes from author J.K. Rowling who talked to him about Dumbledore’s life before becoming the world’s most powerful wizard and a fan-favorite in the “Harry Potter” series. He will portray the beloved character in “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” which arrives in theaters on Friday. (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

Dumbledore was a Hogwarts headmaster in the "Potter" franchise commonly known for his silver hair and long beard, sporting a loose robe. He was played by Michael Gambon after inheriting the role from the Richard Harris, who died in 2002.

Law's youthful version enters in his mid-40s wearing a three-piece suit with short auburn hair in the sequel "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald ," which will be released Friday. It's the second part of a five-film franchise that started with 2016's "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," which grossed $813 million worldwide.

In "Grindelwald," Law's character works with his former student Eddie Redmayne's Newt Scamander to thwart the divisive wizard leader Gellert Grindelwald, played by Johnny Depp. The film also stars Katherine Waterston, Zoe Kravitz and Ezra Miller.

FILE - In this Nov. 8, 2018 file photo, Jude Law poses at the world premiere of the film "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" in Paris. The British actor says he spent an afternoon jotting down notes from author J.K. Rowling who talked to him about Dumbledore’s life before becoming the world’s most powerful wizard and a fan-favorite in the “Harry Potter” series. He will portray the beloved character in “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” which arrives in theaters on Friday. (AP PhotoChristophe Ena, File)

For research, Law read several Harry Potter books that referenced Dumbledore, rather than solely watching the previous films featuring the elder character. With the help of Rowling and director David Yates, they wanted to build from the "ground up."

"I was then given the opportunity to create him without feeling the pressure to mimic or impersonate or indeed hang the character too much on past representations by the other actors," Law said. "There were certain traits I wanted to include. I loved his humor, the twinkle he had. He sees the good in almost everyone. He has a good heart. But I was able to layer him up a little more."

Redmayne said the studio perfectly cast Law as Dumbledore, who doesn't necessarily show his true powers and appears only in about six scenes — most of which are interactions with Scamander.

"Being a formidable, formidable actor with great gravitas and weight and yet at the same time, he has this kind of playful quality," Redmayne said of Law. "And I'll never forget our first scene, which was the first time we see each other in the film. I just saw his back, basically. And the way he turned around, it was instant. It was like in one look, he had managed to inhabit that. I hadn't had any expectations about Dumbledore. But somehow it was solidified in one look."

The sequel picks up after Grindelwald was captured by the Magical Congress of the United States of America with the aid of Newt at the end of the first film. But the villainous wizard finds a way to escape custody and assembles a group of pureblood wizards who support him to rule over all humans in 1920s Paris.

Law says the film opens the door to many dramatic paths and explores a more troubled time in Dumbledore's life along with his once-close relationship with Grindelwald.

Rowling announced in 2007 that Dumbledore is gay after the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows," the final book in the series. Some on social media criticized the author's decision to unveil and tinker with the beloved character's sexuality, but she has defended her actions.

Law assures the story is more focused on his character's complicated relationship with Grindelwald from decades ago, rather than Dumbledore's sexuality.

"His sexuality doesn't define him, but the relationship with Grindelwald does," Law said. "I believe, and (Rowling) would agree, that Albus had many intimate relationships. And the one he has is the love of his life, which is damaged. It becomes even poisonous and sends the two of them in opposite directions. He's now in his middle age, around my age 45, and he's still recovering from a relationship that he's trying to work out from when he was 20. That's a long time. I could barely remember what life was like when I was 20."

The actor applauded Rowling for being fearless in creating "layered" and "diverse" characters such as Dumbledore in a fantasy world with "escapism and magic."

"Isn't it wonderful that we're in a world where finally, finally a franchise like this has a great character and it doesn't matter. But (Rowling) is brave enough to put it out there and say 'Let's do this.' People should be able to handle this. They can. It's as we should be."

Law called his introduction as Dumbledore a good "warmup" as the franchise progresses. The actor has a few big films ahead on his plate including "Captain Marvel" and "Vox Lux," but is looking forward to filming the third installment of "Fantastic Beasts" next summer.

It'll give Law time to grow his beard.

"Finding all those pieces of him were fun" he said. "I eased into the part, but the line was drawn at the end of this one. It's only going to get deeper."

AP Entertainment Writer Ryan Pearson contributed to this report in Los Angeles.

Follow AP Entertainment Writer Jonathan Landrum Jr. on Twitter: http://twitter.com/MrLandrum31

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — At least 90 people were injured in Argentina's capital when a passenger train struck an empty boxcar on the tracks and derailed Friday, authorities said, a rare collision that fueled questions about basic safety.

The train was on its way from Buenos Aires to the northern suburbs when it derailed around 10:30 a.m. on a bridge in the trendy neighborhood of Palermo, safety officials said.

While it was not immediately clear why the idled boxcar had been on the bridge, Argentina's railway union said several meters (yards) of copper cable used to carry power along the tracks had been stolen from the railway, disabling the signaling system intended to prevent such accidents.

Union leaders fiercely opposed to libertarian President Javier Milei's economic austerity blamed the government for its failure to invest in public infrastructure.

“We have been demanding for 10 days that the stolen signaling cables be repaired," rail union leader Omar Maturano told the country's independent Radio Con Vos station. “The government said there was no money for spare parts.”

Prosecutors said they were investigating.

“There is not enough information about the mechanics of this accident,” Buenos Aires Mayor Jorge Macri said from the crash site where he praised the swift evacuation of victims.

Dozens of injured were treated at the scene and 30 people taken to hospitals in moderate to serious condition, at least two by helicopter with chest trauma and broken bones.

Alberto Crescenti, director of the city's emergency service, said rescuers with police dogs had helped 90 people trapped in the derailed train, lowering some by rope from the highway overpass scattered with twisted metal and shattered glass.

Dazed passengers staggering out of the derailed boxcars told local media the train had stopped on the bridge for several minutes before starting up again and slamming violently into the other train, jolting passengers and veering off the rails in a jumble of sparks and smoke.

Officials at the Argentine rail authority, Trenes Argentinos, said service on the popular rail line had been suspended, complicating travel for many commuters.

The collision brought increased scrutiny to rail safety in Argentina, where a string of train crashes from 2012-2014 left over 50 people dead and hundreds injured. It emerged at the time that outdated infrastructure, delays and human error had left the railway system vulnerable to crashes, prompting the government to invest in new safety and braking systems.

With Argentina's economy spiraling and anti-government protests gripping the streets, the crash quickly spawned contradictory narratives, with both government officials and leftist union leaders using the incident to further their agendas.

“The rail company has been totally degraded because there's no budget," said Maturano, from the rail union.

President Milei reposted comments on social media blaming his left-leaning predecessors for neglecting public infrastructure and running up a massive budget deficit.

In the midst of Argentina's worst economic crisis in two decades, police have repeatedly reported would-be cable thieves being electrocuted in the act. Those who succeed wreak havoc on the rail system in stealing metal to sell to scrapyards, where local media says the going rate is about $7 a kilogram ($3.18 a pound).

The Argentine website Infobae in February called copper cable theft “a trendy crime for the crisis.”

Police tape off the site after a passenger train collision in the Palermo area of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday, May 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

A paramedic transports an injured commuter after two trains collided in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday, May 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Railway workers inspect a passenger train after it collided with another in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday, May 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Franco Dergarabedian)

Railway workers inspect a passenger train after it collided with another in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday, May 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

A police officer talks to a commuter who was injured when two trains collided in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday, May 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

A train wagon that collided with another stands on the rails in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday, May 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Paramedics transport injured commuters after two trains collided in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Friday, May 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)