After five years in the wilderness since the cinematic release of The Deathly Hallows: Part Two, Harry Potter fans finally have plenty to be excited about: with a winter release date, the first Potter prequel, Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them is just within our grasp, bringing with it a superb new cast and a clutch of franchise veterans behind the camera. Even, better J. K. Rowling herself has just confirmed that we can expect five films in the spin-off series, which will explore a part of wizard history that she's always wanted to share with us Muggles. To paraphrase Ron Weasley, 'it's bloody brilliant.'
It's also been revealed that Johnny Depp will join the cast of the second Fantastic Beasts installment in an as-yet-undisclosed role. While the actor certainly has plenty of experience in big budget franchises like Pirates of the Caribbean and Alice in Wonderland, it's an announcement that has received a mixed reception from Potter fans.
Ahead of its arrival in cinemas later this year, here's everything you need to know about this year's most anticipated prequel.
What’s Fantastic Beasts all about?
Given the level of anticipation surrounding the first on-screen Potter spin-off, it’s hardly surprising that the filmmakers are keeping the intricacies of Fantastic Beasts’ plot safely under their invisibility cloaks. What we do know, however, is that it tells the story of Newt Scamander, a British magizoologist (that’s the wizarding version of a zoologist) who has just completed a round-the-world trip to document the world’s magical creatures. Stopping off in New York, his suitcase springs open thanks to a rogue ‘Alohomora’ spell – setting a host of potentially dangerous beasts free on the streets of 1920s Manhattan.
With the help of a ‘No-Maj’ (it’s what our American cousins call Muggles, apparently) named Jacob Kowalski and a pair of magical sisters, Queenie and Porpentina Goldstein, Newt must track down his specimens before they wreak havoc upon New York – and before he runs foul of the sinister Percival Graves, the US Director of Magical Security.
Is there a trailer?
Yes, yes, yes. Warner Bros. have been dropping teasers since late last year, but with the release of the final trailer this week, our excitement is at fever pitch. The two-and-a-half minute clip opens on a New York cityscape, and while there’s magic, wonderment and creatures galore, Fantastic Beasts looks to be permeated with the darkness of the better Potter instalments: America’s magical community appears to be both at war with itself and subject to a literal witch hunt by the New Salem Philanthropic Society, headed up by the sinister Mary Lou (played by Samantha Morton).
Truly, it’s almost too much for our Muggle brains to handle.
How does Fantastic Beasts fit into the original Potter saga?
Cast your mind back to 2001 and you might remember two short Harry spin-offs, released in aid of Comic Relief. One was Quidditch Through The Ages, a guide to the wizarding sport; the other, Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them - a fictional Hogwarts text book 'written' by one Newt Scamander. A guide to the creatures which populate the magical world, it detailed everything from hippogriffs to horklumps, basilisks to bowtruckles.
This new film is Newt’s story, and is set 70 years before we meet Harry and co – so don’t expect cameo appearances from Dan Rad et al. The final trailer, though, drops a major link to the Deathly Hallows, when President Seraphina Picquery of the Magical Congress links the chaos in New York to the dark wizard Grindelwald, theorising ‘If this is related to Grindelwald’s attacks in Europe, this could mean war.’ What with this and the news that a young Dumbledore will be making an appearance, Harry fans will doubtless have plenty of ‘Easter egg’-style references to unpick.
What part has J. K. Rowling played in all this?
With a script sketched out in just 12 days, Fantastic Beasts marks J. K.'s screenwriting debut, so devotees can rest assured that their favourite author - slash - excellent Twitter user is fully on board. 'I always said that I would only revisit the wizarding world if I had an idea that I was really excited about, and this is it,' she said when the film was announced back in 2013. If you're searching, Trelawney-like, for more good omens, you'll find plenty: assisting Rowling on the screenplay were David Yates (who is also back in the director's seat after taking charge on the final four Potters) and Steve Kloves (who wrote six out of the seven films).
When is it released?
Like the majority of the original films, Rowling's prequel has a wintery release date, arriving in cinemas on November 18 2016. Before that, though, fans around the world were treated to a special preview on October 13, when brand new footage was broadcast to a selection of IMAX theatres. In London and LA, cast members and the production team (including Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterson, Alison Sudol, Dan Fogler and J. K. Rowling herself) were on hand for an interactive Q&A session, when it was confirmed that no less than five Fantastic Beasts films are planned for release. Yep, five.
Eddie Redmayne is Newt Scamander
Earlier this year, the Oscar winner revealed he was gutted to be one of the only red-headed Brit actors not to be conscripted into the Weasley family. ‘For years I was always like, in the Harry Potter films, there was a whole ginger family and I never got an audition. And I was like, come on, it’s outrageous!’ he joked. ‘Every actor in England was in the Harry Potter films and I never got the call.’ After years of waiting his turn, Eddie is finally stepping into the wizarding world as Newt Scamander, who we already know is a slightly awkward type, who’s most at ease around his magical creatures. His Hogwarts house? Hufflepuff.
Katherine Waterson is Porpentina Goldstein
You might recognise Katherine from parts in films like Inherent Vice and last year’s Oscar baiting Steve Jobs biopic. Her wizarding alter-ego is Porpentina ‘Tina’ Goldstein, an idealistic witch and newly-demoted Auror working in the MACUSA who comes to Newt’s aid. How long is it before Porpentina starts cropping up, Khaleesi style, in baby name charts?
Alison Sudol is Queenie Goldstein
She’s had a handful of television roles in shows like House and Transparent and has recorded music as A Fine Frenzy, but Fantastic Beasts marks Alison’s debut feature film. Tina’s younger sister, Queenie has been described by director David Yates as ‘glamorous and somehow worldly but innocent.’ According to Rowling, she’s also an accomplished legilimens, or mind-reader.
Who else is in the cast?
Colin Farrell stars as the sinister Percival Graves, a senior Auror tasked with magical law enforcement, while stand-up Dan Fogler will be providing comic relief as Newt’s No-Maj sidekick Jacob Kowalski. Samantha Morton plays Mary Lou, an virulently anti-magic activist, with Ezra Miller as her mysterious teenage son, Credence. Zoe Kravitz and Humans star Gemma Chan will also appear in as-yet-unnamed roles.
Where was Fantastic Beasts filmed?
The majority of filming took places at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, a name which will cause the ears of fans to prick up: one of the largest studios in the UK, Leavesden was the base for the original Harry Potter films for a decade, and part of it has since been opened to Muggles for the Studio Tour. Additional scenes were filmed in Liverpool, with the neoclassical front of city landmark St. George's Hall used to stand in for '20s New York.
Can we expect a sequel?
Even better - you can expect four, bringing the total number of planned Fantastic Beasts films up to five (that's two more films than initially confirmed by Warner Bros). J. K. Rowling revealed the news to fans gathered at a global fan event on October 13, meaning that there's plenty more magic to go around. Part two is scheduled in for November 16 2018, while the third film is slated for a 2020 release. It looks like Potter is set to rival Star Wars or even Marvel in terms of its ever-expanding spin-off universe...
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