The November issue of Entertainment Weekly has just been released, and with it is a bunch of first-look imagery and details on Harry Potter prequel Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the first in a planned trilogy. First off, it’s important to note that although J.K. Rowling was heavily involved in all 8 Harry Potter films, this will be her first actual screenplay.
Some spoiler-free plot details are in EW this month, giving the public their first taste of what’s to come from a movie where the details have been so heavily guarded and are likely to remain scarce until it’s almost time for the film to hit cinemas next year. If you’d prefer not to know anything about the film yet: stop reading now.
“Fantastic Beasts follows Eddie Redmayne’s character Newt Scamander, an odd magizoologist who travels to New York with nothing but a seemingly normal briefcase that is actually an expansive magical device, containing habitats for rare and endangered magical creatures, all of which Newt has collected on his travels around the globe. Soon after his arrival, Newt discovers that the wizarding community in America is fearfully hiding from Muggles, and the threat of public exposure is an even greater concern than in the UK.
Newt is described as someone much more interested in his collection of creatures than actual people, which raises questions about his relationship with Porpentina ( Katherine Waterston’s Porpentina ) in the film, and makes it highly likely that he’ll be paying much more attention to the more dangerous beasts in his captivity, some of whom are said to escape in the film.
It has also been revealed that, in America, Muggles will be referred to as “No-Maj”.
The other big threat in the film seems to be an anti-magic collective known as Second Salemers, led by a character named Mary Lou (Samantha Morton), who are focused on exposing and destroying the wizards and witches of America. Lou’s son, Credence, will be played by Ezra Miller and is described by EW as “the cast’s most mysterious character” – chances are he’ll probably have some powers of his own, much to his mother’s dismay.
Set images from Entertainment Weekly
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