For fans of the Harry Potter series, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was, at first, just a fictional textbook with all the magical creatures of the series catalogued. In 2013, when the film was first announced, fans were ecstatic with having new wizarding world adventures. It took until 2016 to get the first full trailer that gives us a look at what the movie’s full plot will entail:
The long and short of it is Newt Scamander (played by Eddie Redmayne) arrives in 1920’s New York to meet with an official at a magical congress. In an unfortunate turn of events, the magical creatures locked in his briefcase escape and reek havoc. However, as the creatures continue to spread mayhem, some of the wizards think it’s time to step out of the shadows and assert their dominance over the non-maj, and begin the reign of wizards in the United States. There’s 1920’s fashion abound, a darker and grittier aesthetic, and the most stereotypical of New York accents. The cast includes Colin Farrell, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Erza Miller, Ron Perlman, Jon Voight, and Alison Sudol.
The magical world in the United States seems markedly different from its British counterpart. They don’t use the word Muggles, they have different school houses, and they are a lot stricter about non-magic people knowing about the existence of their world. We also get to see a lot of the CGI beasts of the title, with imaginative designs meant to evoke the same mystical, magical world many Harry Potter fans thought was over and done with. David Yates, who directed Harry Potter films 5 through 7 part II, is at the helm here as well, for those who enjoy that kind of franchise continuity.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will be released in theaters on November 18th, 2016.
