The muggles (non-magical folk for all you Harry Potter novices) can barely contain themselves with excitement as a new movie set in the magical world created by JK Rowling called ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ is coming out next year.
The action is transported from the England of the Harry Potter movies to America and follows the adventures of writer Newt Scamander in New York’s secret community of witches and wizards seventy years before Harry Potter reads his book in school. Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne is playing the lead character Newt Scamander, while rounding out the cast are Colin Farrell as a character called Graves, as well as Ron Perlman and Jon Voight.
Th film’s director David Yates helmed four of the Harry Potter films, so is no stranger to the world created by JK Rowling. The book itself featured in ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ as it was in the first year reading list for Harry Potter and his classmates. It is an extensive introduction to the magical beasts that exist in the magical, non-Muggle world such as the Hippogriff and Flobberworm. JK Rowling actually wrote the real book in 2001 and has said she is excited about the upcoming film for which she wrote the screenplay.
Warner Bros stated that, “The series will take place decades before Harry and his pals ever entered Hogwarts, and centers around Professor Scamander’s travels documenting the Wizarding World and meeting all the Fantastic Beasts it contains.”
I spoke earlier this year to Evanna Lynch who played Luna Lovegood in the magical franchise and she said that she was looking forward to seeing the film as a fan.
“I just love the character of Luna, and being part of that family and that universe is a privilege. I get the best of both worlds, as the character of Luna did not take over my life the way it did for Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson with their characters. The new film is set 70 years before the ones I was in so it will be great to go and see the film as a fan,” she said.
The enduring love for all things Harry Potter was demonstrated recently by the sell out play ‘The Cursed Child’ that has been called the eight Harry Potter story. Written by Jack Thorne and directed by award-winner John Tiffany, the play is a brand new story written in collaboration with JK Rowling. In it Harry himself is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic. It focuses on his youngest son Albus who must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. Fans are already hoping for this to also make its way to the big screen!