Warning: Spoilers are discussed during this interview.

With director David Yates’ Fantastic Beasts 2: The Crimes of Grindelwald now playing in theaters around the world, I recently sat down with producer David Heyman for an exclusive interview. During the wide-ranging conversation, he talked about what it was like making the sequel after the positive audience reaction, when he found out it was going to be a five-film series, the title of Fantastic Beasts 3 and when they hope to film the next sequel, when he found out Dumbledore was going to have a brother, and more. In addition, he talked about the status of a Paddington 3, the new Willy Wonka movie, Attack on Titan, and Quentin Tarantino’s next movie, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and more.

Once again written by J.K. Rowling, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald finds Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) being summoned by Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) after Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) escapes. Dumbledore wants to stop Grindelwald from recruiting enough Dark Wizards to take over the world. At the same time, Newt and his friends have various problems and mysteries of their own, while Credence (Ezra Miller) has befriended an afflicted woman (Claudia Kim) who eventually becomes the snake Nagini. The film also stars Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Zoe Kravitz, Callum Turner, William Nadylam, Kevin Guthrie, Carmen Ejogo, and Poppy Corby-Tuech.

Check out what David Heyman had to say below and look for more interviews in the coming days.

Collider: When you're making the first one, even though it's something that should be successful because it's in the Harry Potter World and Jo is writing it, you never really know if the audience is going to come out for a brand new franchise. You really don't know.

DAVID HEYMAN: It sounds really strange but to me, I don't work from the outside in, I work from the inside out. So, for me when the opportunity arose to work with David again, and to work with Steve, and Lionel, and to work, of course, with Jo and back in the wizarding World, I leapt, because I loved it. It was a big part of my life.

That's not to say I haven't enjoyed the space and time to go on and explore other worlds, and do other things. Of course, I needed to do that. I need to do that, but I leapt at the opportunity. From the financier’s point, you know, putting my head on, not my heart. Putting my head on and think about the studio's point of view on that. Jo, the wizarding world, feels like a good and interesting bet. But for me it was a way to dig deeper into this world, and the world that Jo created and to explore similar themes, and new themes a little bit deeper. So, it's been fantastic.

The first one was, I suppose, a slightly lighter film. Serving as an introduction to the world. Here, I think, we're going deeper. It's a little darker, little edgier. None of it is calculated. It's not looking outside in. It's not saying, “the audience will want this.” It all comes from this incredible mind, this vivid…this incredible imagination, that is Jo's. So, the first one went one way, this went a different [way], exploring more stories. Let's get deeper, let's bring the connective tissue. And it wasn't because the audience will like that. It's, this is what the story is, as we go further, and as we move on, as the timeline moves on, it gets closer to when Potter begins. So, some of the connective tissue becomes more overt.

As we move into the third film, hopefully, I just read the first script and it's so exciting. It's, again, you're here, and now you're going here. It's great.

When she first told you the idea for this, it was originally thought of as a trilogy. And it's now five films. Can you talk about how that change happened?

HEYMAN It wasn't a difficult conversation to have at the studio.

Well, of course. I'm sure the studio was like, "Yes."

HEYMAN: But it didn't go from anybody speaking to Jo and saying, "You know what? Let's milk this." Both in fairness to the studio, but also to Jo. While it may look like it to some people, there is nothing cynical about this. This is all from her head. So she begins with three films, because she thinks that's the story she wants to tell, and then as she digs deeper…and she hadn't written anything when she said three. Then she wrote the first, and as she was writing the second, actually just before then, but as she says we working on the first, she began to realize there was a whole lot more, and she was trying to figure out, “how the hell am I going to squeeze this into three?”

I think she knew some of the tent pole, not film tent pole, but some the the structures, the big moments that she was trying to hit. She knows where it ends. She knows where it begins, and she had a lot of the building blocks in her head. But as she was filling out, she realized there was a lot more there than she thought.

How much time has it been between films?

HEYMAN: Two.

So is the plan, in an ideal world, every other year would be a film?

HEYMAN: My sense is, if I were a betting man, that we would probably be doing the next one in two years. But let's see, you know? It's early days. The hope would be two years later.

You mentioned you got a script already for the third film. I would imagine you're filming next summer or something.

HEYMAN: Roughly then, yeah.

Tending of this film introduces a character that is going to be a big thing for a lot of Harry Potter fans. It's a big deal. When did you first hear about it? And when you introduce something like this, does Jo already have that full arc of where she wants this whole thing to go?

HEYMAN: Yep, and I discovered it when I read the first draft.

She never told you?

HEYMAN: I said, "What!?" I said. "Wow!" Yeah. No, I didn't know before I read the first draft of the second film. And it's a wonderful kickoff. To leap to where it's, "Wow. This is really interesting." Now, we begin to see how the relationship is deepening.

One of the things I love about this film and, I think we will find more, as we go on, is the insight into Dumbledore. Yes, Dumbledore's introduced in this film, and he'll become a more significant as we go on. But I think the whole exploration of Dumbledore as not the person who we spent time with in the Harry Potter films…I mean, he is, but it's how he became who he became. And we always knew he was a puppet master, and he is a little bit here too. Like he did with Harry, he's been playing Newt a little bit. Newt went to New York, in part, because of what Dumbledore did. But also Dumbledore's demons, his dark side. The fact that he and Grindelwald were so close, that there was a point where he was not unsympathetic to Grindelwald. He loved him, and though we only touch on the love now, again, it will go deeper. It's where it should be right now. You can't do everything in one film. But I think, it's pretty clearly suggested, with “we were more than friends.” We may not see them making out in that film. Which maybe some people want. But you really get a sense there was more there. That's, you know, getting a sense of his demons, and the appeal of Grindelwald, the power of Grindelwald is something that we see in this, and we'll see going forward.

When did Ezra find out this key information?

HEYMAN: You know what? I'm not sure. I'm not sure. I don't know the answer. I think, I don't know. I don't know whether Jo told him before.

What is it like when Jo brings a script? How close is the final version of the film to what she originally envisioned in the script?

HEYMAN: It evolves over time. I think, this one, yeah it evolved over time. It's something that got a script, and we saw an early draft. First draft. But it was an early draft, and it evolved. The emphasis was placed on different things. We began exploring slightly different characters, what the journeys were. So, yeah, it evolved. It's not like you get a draft and that's it. She's a great collaborator. She's a great partner. She's willing to try most everything. That's not to say she's a pushover, far from it. She's got very strong opinions. But there's a combination of incredible confidence and humility. So she knows the world. She knows the idea. She knows the characters. She writes great scenes. All of that. But the same time, there's a humility. Especially when working with David Yates, he's got a vision and a point of view as well. He reads a script, it conjures so many things, in terms of ideas, in terms of the characters, in terms of all that.

How is she going to express? How is he going to be able to express her intention? And she will amend, and do what she needs to do to support that. Also just to make things clearer or to make things less linear, or to make things more linear. She is an incredible collaborator. It's not about ego. There's a confidence in her world, but there's a great humility and willingness to embrace other's ideas if they inspire.

Dan Fogler told me that when he signed on, he signed on for four movies, and that he was on stage with everyone, and all of a sudden she said it's going to be five. What is it like for you as a producer when a change like that happens? Are you like, "Well we can deal with it"?

HEYMAN: You know what? Here’s the thing. You do deal with it. You know what I mean? It's one of those things where you have no choice but to deal with it. It comes, and you go "Oh. Wow." So, if it's not gonna work out, it's not going to work out. But, fortunately, I think people want to be a part of this world, and it's not like people are not going to be well compensated in success. We all, in success, will do just fine. Negotiations are never easy, because both side has a…but you get there. You inevitably get there. And I really believe that I knew we would. I felt confident, but there is that moment.

But we face it every year on every film on Harry Potter, because it wasn't like we've signed up Dan, Rupert, and Emma for eight films or seven films. We didn't know there were going to be eight until later on. But you know Emma. "Do I want to do it? Do I not?" Emma was the one who was struggling the most with her decision about whether she wanted to pursue it because she wanted a life. She wanted to do other things. I don't think she has any regrets about doing it, and boy is she thriving professionally, and personally. She's an incredible lady. I am in awe of her work for HeForShe, she's amazing. But, each film was, "I want my childhood" or "Should I do this?" She's very thoughtful and considerate. So we face it on every single film.

Do you know the titles of the next few movies?

HEYMAN: I know the title the next one.

Obviously, I don't want to have you spoil anything. But are you going to continue something to the effect of, Fantastic Beasts, colon, then a title?

HEYMAN: Yeah, that's the current plan, I think.

Paddington 2 is amazing. Just amazing. I would love a third, but I also don't want to damage the first two amazing movies. Have you guys talked about it?

HEYMAN: I don't think Paul King will direct the third. He did the first two. He and I were working on another project together that I think, will be really exciting. We'll probably, I mean, yeah, that'll probably be announced soon. He's very special, Paul.

We're developing a third Paddington. Don't know. We haven't got a script yet. We've got a treatment, which we're still working on.

Is Paul involved in it at all?

HEYMAN: Paul is involved in it. Yes. I asked. I wanted him to be involved because I think, he is such a significant voice, but I don't think he'll direct it. He's working on the idea, or he worked on the idea.

It's one of these things like, he comes up with the idea, someone else writes it, if everything goes according to plan, the movie gets made.

HEYMAN: Yeah, but I don't think it's quite that simple, I think, he comes up the idea, with Simon Farnaby and Mark Benton, were the three people. Then they develop it, and come back for more, back and forth, and then it'll get written. Then Paul will come in and stir it up a little bit. But he's an incredible collaborator, Paul. Very positive, very supportive. So, yeah, let's see, I hope we get to make it. It's really fun. It's a fun idea. I don't know yet. I'm like you. I don't want to do it if I don't think it's gonna’ be good.

You're attached to the new Willy Wonka.

HEYMAN: I am.

What’s the status on that film?

HEYMAN: We are still trying to figure out how to tell that story. What the story is, because it's a prequel. It's not a sequel, it's a prequel. What makes Willy, Willy, when we find him at the Chocolate Factory doing the golden ticket. Where is he before that? What leads him to that place, where he's locked himself away.

Is there a filmmaker involved?

HEYMAN: I hope Paul King, but we'll see.

Attack on Titan. Which is a huge manga thing. I'm not as familiar with it, but I see the popularity of this title.

HEYMAN: What I love about it is…I read the books, and I saw the Japanese TV series, and it's very emotional. So, for me, sometimes these super heroes and manga are made to be quite cool. I found this one beautiful. I'm really excited to be working with Andy and Barbara Muschietti. If you look at the work I'm doing, I love working with filmmakers. So, whether it be Quentin or Alfonso, or Paul King, or David Yates, or The Muschiettis, or… to be working with them, is incredibly exciting.

How do you envision adapting it? Is it something where you guys are far along? Are you writing?

HEYMAN: The deal's just closed.

Oh, so it's real early days. I'll switch to the last thing. You’re producing the new Quentin Tarantino. This is the first Quentin movie that the script has not leaked. What kind of security are you guys doing to prevent it? Because it's been amazing.

HEYMAN: We just don't have it out to that many people. I can't tell you how excited I am about that project. I think, it's his most personal film. This is a potentially a great work. I am buzzing. It's one of the greatest… I've had more fun on this, in some ways, than anything, and he's a great leader. I've learned so much from watching him, and it's a privilege.

I, like all of fandom, have enjoyed seeing all the set photos, where you're just recreating vintage Hollywood. That’s not cheap, what you guys are doing all over Hollywood. What is it like, telling the studio, "We're going to do this."? And what is it like standing there on Hollywood Boulevard, when you've turned it back, 40, 50 years?

HEYMAN: Sony have been very supportive. We have a budget. We’re working within the budget. We have brilliant…Shannon McIntosh, who I’m producing with, and Georgia Kacandes, who's the executive producer. Georgia is the line producer, executive producer, and has done a brilliant job with the budget. Quentin, he's not reckless. He really isn't. He knows what he wants, or sometimes he may discover certain things, but he has a very clear idea, and he's responsible, and an absolute pleasure. Ambitious. So he's not pushing the envelope every time, but we're doing just fine. And what is it being on Hollywood Boulevard when it's like that? It's so cool. When you look around, you see all those old cars, and you see signs up, and movie theaters, and posters. it's a highlight.

When do you think you guys are going to release a teaser trailer, or anything for the film?

HEYMAN: Yeah, watch this space, is all I can say.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is now in theaters.