The action in the film spans six countries over three continents, but the actual shooting footprint was considerably smaller. The filmmaking team worked their own brand of magic, fabricating each of those far-flung locations on the soundstages and massive backlot of Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in England, home to the Wizarding World films for more than 20 years.

"One of the great things about how Rowling broadens these stories is: You get the sense that they can take you anywhere in the world," Yates said. "And this film truly has an international canvas."

As for the title character, actor Jude Law said playing Dumbledore is more like a process of regression, and one of his joys was to go back and understand that he's not the fully formed Dumbledore of the "Harry Potter" books and films. "He's a man still finding his way, still confronting and resolving his demons."

Actor Eddie Redmayne said he loves the relationship between his character, Newt, and Dumbledore, which has got that complexity of master and apprentice and then evolved to being something almost fraternal. "What I also love about this movie is that it's like a wizarding heist movie in which a group of outsiders all band together, all of them unconventional with an unconventional leader, and there's a kind of wonder in that."

David Yates so far has directed four "Harry Potter" films and three "Fantastic Beasts" films. This year, the "Harry Potter" franchise also celebrates the 20th anniversary of the first film, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone." For him, what's enduring about these movies is: "I think they just become a safe place to go to for lots of people. They celebrate certain values, loyalty, love, friendship, empowering the outsider, and the person you always underestimate, which resonate with many people in the real world. And they do it in this magical space."

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