If you grew up in the late nineties, I would be surprised if you weren't fond of the infamous Harry Potter series, written by J.K. Rowling. The books gave young teens the chance to imagine themselves as part of an extraordinary world by believing that they could one day experience a life as magical as the one they read about. The series was not only an international success, but prompted the release of eight movies, several video games and two theme parks (The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Orlando and Hollywood). While the final movie and book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, seemed to conclude the franchise, Harry Potter fans can once again rejoice at the upcoming film release of J.K. Rowling's newest extension of the wizarding world, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
While I consider myself to be a devoted and knowledgeable Harry Potter fan, I must admit that I was unaware of the production and release of this movie until fairly recently.
So, there I was one afternoon, sitting in the movie theater watching trailers of the upcoming films when I first saw the Harry Potter-like Warner Bros. logo appear on screen. My first thought, unaware of Fantastic Beasts was, "Huh, that looks just like the effect used on the logo in the Harry Potter movies." It wasn't until, perhaps, forty-five seconds into the trailer when a character mentioned the name "Hogwarts" that I was sitting on the edge of my seat with my jaw dropped.
What was this new movie? Who were the characters? In what frame of reference did the movie take place? Why did the name sound so familiar to me? What was the movie actually about? And most importantly, how was I not aware that another movie was being made?
I find it there essential
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is accompanied by known favorites A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot and The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble for first years.
4. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is not mentioned again until book seven, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Harry, Ron and Hermione travel to Xenophilius Lovegood's home (Luna Lovegood's father) to ask him about the symbol he was wearing as a necklace at the wedding. Xenophilius proceeds to tell them the story of the Deathly Hallows. In the book, Hermione comments on a wild beast Xenophilius is keeping in his home that she read about in Fantastic Beasts.
5. The protagonist in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is Newt Scamander, author of the textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
6. Scamander's mother bred hippogriffs, catalyzing his interest in magical beasts.
7. Scamander was expelled from Hogwarts; however, Albus Dumbledore was one of the professors that defended the student.
8. Scamander was a regular wizard who worked for the Ministry of Magic in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.
9. The textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them lists all magical creatures from A-Z.
You can expect it all, from a Basilisk to a Snidget.
10. The published version of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them contains Harry Potter's personal annotations.
One of Harry's annotations to the question "What is a Beast?" is a "big hairy thing with too many legs." Spot on, Harry.
11. Albus Dumbledore was asked by Scamander to write the Foreword to his textbook.
Because, why not?
12. Magical Beasts are classified by the Ministry into 5 categories depending on their level of dangerousness.
XXXXX is the most dangerous and is a "known wizard killer/impossible to train or domesticate." X is simply classified as a "boring" creature.
13. The film takes place in 1926, the same year Voldemort was born.
Coincidence? I think not.
14. Warner Brothers' first released synopsis states that the film follows Scamander on an unexpected journey through New York due to Jacob's, a muggle, accidental release of some of Scamander's magical beasts, "which could spell trouble for both the wizarding and No-Maj (American word for muggle) worlds."
Stupid muggles.
15. The film stars Eddie Redmayne, who received an Academy Award for his role in The Theory of Everything.
16. Other stars include Katherine Waterson (Steve Jobs) as Tina, who works at the Magical Congress of the United States of America and meets Scamander while he is in New York.
17. Fantastic Beasts was filmed in the same studio as the other Harry Potter films.
Other scenes in the film were shot in Liverpool, England.
18. Fantastic Beasts is the first film in a trilogy of movies to be released.
Bless up to the fact that there is more to come.
Now that you know more about the film, I hope you are even more excited about the November 18th release. And if you can't wait until then, be sure to purchase your copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them today!! May you raise your glass of butterbeer high for the continuation of the wizarding world.
