Reviewing: Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is an upcoming and highly anticipated fantasy drama film co-directed and written by J.K. Rowling, based on her book series. The idea to turn this Harry Potter spin-off into a film was announced in September, 2013, marking Rowling’s debut as a screenwriter. The film will not only be directed by the writer, but also by the producers of the Harry Potter film franchise: David Heyman, Steve Kloves, and David Yates.
The story takes place long before Harry Potter, in the wizarding world in New York, 1926. Danger is growing in the wizarding world, threatening to expose the wizarding community to a faction of No-Majs, or Muggles (non-magical people) who are out to destroy them. Oblivious to these dangers, Newt Scamander, a magizoologist, or person who studies magical creatures, just completed a global journey to find, research, and rescue magical creatures. While stopping in New York after completing his journey, Newt finds himself in a potentially disastrous situation after a No-Maj named Jacob unintentionally lets some of the rescued creatures loose in the city. With the help of Jacob, a former member of the Ministry of Magic, and her sister Queenie, Newt must recover the creatures before they wreak havoc in the city, while dealing with the dark forces that could start a war between the Wizarding World and No-Maj World.
Eddie Redmayne, an Oscar winning actor, has been cast for the role of Newt Scamander. He is well known for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in the 2014 film Theory of Everything. Cast for the roles of Tina and Queenie are Katherine Waterston and Alison Sudol, and comedian Dan Fogler has been cast for the role of Jacob. On August 17, 2015 at Warner Bros. Studio, Leavesden, the principal photography on the film began. Many scenes were shot on location in London, and after a few months the production was moved to St. George's Hall in Liverpool, where they would recreate New York City in the 1920’s. On January 28, 2016, the filming was completed and was prepared for the world to see.
The release date of the film is set for November 18, 2016. It is said that this will be the first film of a 5-film series. When the last Harry Potter film was released, everyone thought that would be the end of the wizarding world stories; a few years later, here we are anticipated another set of films. There is no doubt that J.K. Rowling will impress us once again.
