A Guide to Fantastic Beasts

A+Guide+to+Fantastic+Beasts

William DeMuria, Pop Culture Editor, Writer

On Nov. 18, Harry Potter fans will be able to return to the magical wizarding world through the  newest book-to-film adaptation, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. This new movie, whose script was completely written by author J.K. Rowling, is the beginning of a new series loosely based on the short companion book by Rowling that was published in 2001.

J.K. Rowling always provided input during the making of the other Harry Potter movies. Though, this time around, Rowling wrote the entire script by herself, and it is the first screenplay she has ever written. Knowing Rowling’s type of writing, this addition to the Harry Potter series will most likely live up to the previous movies.

Harry Potter fans may be sad to hear that even though this new film will exist in the same wizarding world as Harry Potter, it will not feature any of the same characters from the widely popular eight film series released from 2001 to 2011. Though the fan-favorite characters won’t be appearing in Fantastic Beasts, Rowling has assured her fans that it won’t disappoint.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them takes place in 1926 and follows a young wizard, Newt Scamander. In the film, Scamander has just recently been expelled from Hogwarts, so he packs a group of magical creatures in a briefcase and heads to New York. The only problem is that other wizards are trying to find and capture him in order to prevent him from exposing the wizarding world.

This new trilogy will introduce many new characters to the wizarding world. The main characters of this movie will include Porpetina “Tina” Goldstein, who works at the Magical Congress of the United States of America; Queenie Goldstein, Porpetina’s sister and roommate; and Jacob Kowalski, a “No-Maj,” or “Non-Magic,” who is exposed to magic in New York City. All of these characters come together to help Newt along his journey.

Fantastic Beasts will also feature many famous actors filling in these magic roles. Academy Award winner, Eddie Redmayne, will be portraying the protagonist in the movie, Newt. Also, Colin Farrell will be playing Percival Graves, a high ranking official at the MACUSA.

Many fans have expressed their interest in the new series recently. Julia Aleo, a long-time fan of the Harry Potter series, said, “I know this is going to be a little different from the other Harry Potter films, but I am still so excited and can’t wait to see this new chapter in the wizard world.” This new film will surely attract the interest of many J.K. Rowling fans who know and love the Harry Potter books and films.

This new series is only the first new addition to the Harry Potter series. This summer, a new play written by Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, opened in London. This play is a continuation of the original series set place after the epilogue in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and features many of the characters that fans already know and love. While waiting to see the new movie or see the new play, fans can watch the first eight movies in the series in anticipation of all the magic in the series that is to come.