When theHarry Potterfilm franchise came to a close with the release ofHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2in 2011, both fans and Warner Bros. alike were in mourning over one of the best and most successful film series of all time. Given justhowlucrative the series was, it was only a matter of time before it resurfaced in some form or another, and indeed in 2014—just three years afterDeathly Hallowshit theaters—Warner Bros. announced its intention to expand the wizarding world with a trio of films based on the Newt Scamander Hogwarts textbookFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Not only that, but authorJ.K. Rowlingherself would be handling the screenplay, making her scripting debut.
We’re now a few months out from the release ofFantastic Beasts, which means I can finally tell you that in December of 2015, I had the pleasure of traveling to London to visit the set of the movie along with a small group of reporters, and glean some tidbits about what fans can expect from this highly promising wizarding world expansion.
For those unaware,Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themtakes place in the year 1926 and revolves around Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), a magizoologist who is more at home with his animals than with other humans, and who finds himself waylaid in New York City when his briefcase pops open and his creatures beginning running wild. However, this is an ensemble story, and along for the ride are a former auror named Tina (Katherine Waterston), her bubbly sister Queenie (Alison Sudol), and a no-maj (American for “muggle”) named Jacob (Dan Fogler) who gets wrapped up in the world of magic and doesn’t exactly want to leave.
The story ofFantastic Beastsis unique in the wizarding world for a number of reasons. Of course the period and American setting are wholly new toPotterfans, but the main difference is that this film revolves around adults in the wizarding world, not children. As such, the socio-political themes of Rowling’s script are more prevalent, as the events that transpire take place against the backdrop of an election and Newt soon discovers that the relationship between magic-folk and no-maj in America isverydifferent from that in the U.K. Namely, there is an agreement among the heads of MACUSA—Magical Congress of the United States of America—that mingling between no-maj and magicians is forbidden, and the magic community lives in complete and utter secrecy. This leads to a sort of segregation between the communities, and as such, the fact that the titular fantastic beasts are on the loose in such a big city is a very big problem.
Around the corner they had builtanotherfull city street, this one consisting of sets for Tina and Queenie’s fancy brownstone as well as Jacob’s less-than-fancy apartment. All of this was beautifully realized by production designerStuart Craig, who worked on every singleHarry Pottermovie and is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle in terms of bringing the wizarding world to life—he even designed the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme parks at Universal Studios.
Just when I thought the sets couldn’t get more impressive, we were led down some stairs at the back end of the street, and wouldn’t you know it, a recreation of the Central Park Zoo has been constructed. It looked as though a major set piece was to take place here, as some of the cages were busted open, but it was a glorious recreation of a 1920s zoo complete with a seal display in the middle.
This was all built outside, but on the inside of one of the stages was something evenmoreimpressive: MACUSA. This set felt more massive and more impressive than the Ministry of Magic, and indeed the walls went all the way up to the top of the soundstage ceiling. Everything was lined with tile, giving off a gorgeously elegant yet sterile vibe, with statues of famous wizards lining the walls, below each of which were desks for the various MACUSA workers. One of the finer details fans might appreciate is the fact that these desks weren’t filled with blank papers. No, actual documents with real content were littered across the desks, which is stuff the camera probably won’t even pick up. On such letter was a “Notice of Contraventions” issued by the Federal Bureau of Convert Vigilance and No-Maj Obliviation, which again is something only the actors will ever see, but serves to fully realize this wonderful world.
In the center of MACUA was an enormous statue commemorating the Salem Witch Trials. Indeed, per Rowling’s own writings, the Salem Witch Trials are a major piece of wizarding history in America, and the haunting statue showed a young girl pleading with her mother, surrounded by town elders all ignoring her. It’s a moving piece of art, and one that will hopefully make its way to the screen in a prominent place when the finished film hits theaters.
While on set we also had the pleasure of speaking with Redmayne, Waterston, Sudol, Fogler,Colin Farrell,Ezra Miller, directorDavid Yates, producerDavid Heyman, and production designer Stuart Craig. While it was clear they were all under top secret contracts and couldn’t really revealtoomuch, it was nice to discuss their thoughts on the franchise as a whole, meeting Rowling, and what this new film will offer fans. I’ll be posting all of the interviews in short order, but for now you can read the couple at the links below, along with more set visit coverage. And belowthat, for all you obsessive fans, I’ve amassed a list of 31 things to know about the movie, from production insight to character details.
All in all, as a massiveHarry Potterfan already, I came away from the set ofFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themeven more excited for this new story. Rowling’s talent as a writer is undeniable, and it really feels like she’s digging into brand new territory here while using the already established wizarding world as a backdrop to tell a fresh, and thematically rich, story.Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themopens in theaters on November 18th.
To read the rest of myFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themset visit coverage, peruse the links below. Look for even more in the coming days:
