Warner Bros. has unveiled a bevy of new, high-resolution images fromFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, further revealing the highly anticipated expansion of the wizarding world. Marking the screenwriting debut ofHarry PotterauthorJ.K. Rowling, the film takes place in 1926 New York and revolves around Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), a magizoologist who finds himself thrust into a world of chaos as the American wizarding world is in danger of being exposed to the No Majs (American for Muggles), which would be in strict violation of how the American wizarding world conducts itself. Moreover, a faction of fanatics called the “Second Salemers” are bent on eradicating the magic folks once and for all, and the powerful dark wizard Gellert Grindewald, following a trail of destruction in Europe, has slipped away and is nowhere to be found.
There’s a lot going on inFantastic Beastsbeyond the titular creatures being let loose on the city, and that’s one aspect of the film I think many are underestimating. Rowling has shown a knack for richly drawn characters and thematic parallels to real issues facing our world today, and in delving into themes of prejudice and politics,Fantastic Beastscould prove to be a wonderfully fulfilling experience indeed. Moreover,with five films planned in total, it’s now clear that this is how Rowling intends on continuing the wizarding world. TheFantastic Beastsmovies are basically Rowling’s way of writing moreHarry Potterbooks, except instead of books she’s writing screenplays.
And I haven’t even mentioned the gorgeous world that directorDavid Yatesand his team have conjured. TheHarry Potterfilms were always visual feasts, but working in a period setting has given Yates and Co. the freedom to expand beyond their wildest dreams, crafting an entirely different wizarding world from the ground up.
I’m mighty excited for this movie and beyond, even ifJohnny Depp’s casting as a mystery characterhas me somewhat concerned he’ll be filling the role of Grindewald in the franchise going forward. Regardless, I can’t wait to seeFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themwhen it opens in theaters on November 18th.
Peruse through the new images below, and click for high-resolution. The film also starsKatherine Waterston,Dan Fogler,Alison Sudol,Colin Farrell,Ezra Miller,Samantha Morton,Carmen Ejogo,Ron Perlman, andJon Voight.
Here’s the official synopsis forFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them:
There are growing dangers in the wizarding world of 1926 New York. Something mysterious is leaving a path of destruction in the streets, threatening to expose the wizarding community to the No-Majs (American for Muggles), including the Second Salemers, a fanatical faction bent on eradicating them. And the powerful, dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald, after wreaking havoc in Europe, has slipped away…and is now nowhere to be found.
Unaware of the rising tensions, Newt Scamander arrives in the city nearing the end of a global excursion to research and rescue magical creatures, some of which are safeguarded in the magical hidden dimensions of his deceptively nondescript leather case. But potential disaster strikes when unsuspecting No-Maj Jacob Kowalski inadvertently lets some of Newt’s beasts loose in a city already on edge—a serious breach of the Statute of Secrecy that former Auror Tina Goldstein jumps on, seeing her chance to regain her post as an investigator. However, things take an ominous turn when Percival Graves, the enigmatic Director of Magical Security at MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America), casts his suspicions on both Newt…and Tina.
Now allied, Newt and Tina, together with Tina’s sister, Queenie, and their new No-Maj friend, Jacob, form a band of unlikely heroes, who must recover Newt’s missing beasts before they come to harm. But the stakes are higher than these four outsiders—now branded fugitives—ever imagined, as their mission puts them on a collision course with dark forces that could push the wizarding and No-Maj worlds to the brink of war.
