Ever since the first novel was published in 1997, J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” has grown into a cultural phenomenon. When the final movie of the original “Potter” series was released in 2011, fans thought the series was over for good — but 2016 has opened the door to expansions into the Wizarding World.
On Nov. 18, the newest addition to the “Potter” franchise, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” will be released as the first installment of a five-part series exploring the Wizarding World 70 years before the events of the “Potter” novels, in a setting that is vastly different from that of the original “Harry Potter” series — 1920s New York.
The film is loosely based on a short, encyclopedic book of the same name, written by J.K. Rowling under the pseudonym Newt Scamander, a fictional character who also serves as the protagonist of the movie.
Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), comes to New York after traveling the globe researching and collecting various magical creatures in his briefcase, which has an Undetectable Extension Charm that allows it to be bigger on the inside.
Jacob Kowalski (Dan Folger), a ‘No-Maj,’ (person without magic), accidentally opens the briefcase, releasing magical beasts that begin wreaking havoc in the city.
But the movie also explores some deeper concerns in the American magical world. Relations between the magical and non-magical communities are strained, and an extremist group calls for a ‘Second Salem’ (inspired by the Salem Witch Trials in early America) hoping to eradicate wizardkind.
The film is Rowling’s debut as a screenwriter. Though no one can argue with her expertise with creating compelling narratives, there are some concerns regarding her ability to portray American culture authentically.
In the months leading up to the movie’s release, Rowling published a “History of Magic in North America.” The piece included factual errors about American history, such as a magical Washington D.C. capital established years before George Washington ever became president and years before the city was founded or named.
But the larger concern comes through her mistreatment of Native American culture in the piece. She plays up Native Americans as particularly attuned to animal and plant magic, and she appropriates Native American beliefs in her Wizarding World. For example, she uses the ‘Pukwudgie’ of Wampanoag folklore as a magical creature that European immigrants “find,” as well as one of the house names for Ilvermorny, the American Wizarding school, without Native Americans of any kind playing a role in the school, nor ever mentioning the creature’s connection to Native legends.
While the trailers don’t clearly reveal whether these creatures will make it into the film, it does set the stage for Rowling to make mistakes with American culture — especially when she draws from historical American events like the Salem Witch Trials.
One of the many things the “Harry Potter” films are known for is its music, with John Williams’ “Hedwig’s Theme” being one of the most ubiquitous movie soundtracks today. Although the composer for “Fantastic Beasts,” James Newton Howard, is not nearly as popular as Williams, he is a veteran soundtrack composer, and from the snippets of music from the trailers, he does a fine job of mixing nostalgia from the original series with new music that fits “Fantastic Beasts” well.
That sentiment — taking viewers back to the series they knew and loved without explicitly doing so — promises to perform beautifully in “Fantastic Beasts,” if the trailers hold any weight. Subtle references to characters and iconic scenes from the “Potter” franchise play well with a plot that is completely different from that of “Harry Potter,” while still playing on ideas that were mentioned throughout the original series, such as the struggle between magical and non-magical communities.
Perhaps the largest difference from “Potter” in this new series will be the characters. Part of the charm that made “Potter” successful in the first place was that the story was driven by children attending a wizarding school. With “Fantastic Beasts,” the movie is largely adult-driven, with the exception of Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller), the adopted son of Second Salem leader Mary Lou Barebone. Without children playing a large role, the Wizarding World might lose the charm that brought so many to become devoted fans of “Potter.”
However, the actors in the film promise to deliver. In particular, Eddie Redmayne will do justice to Newt Scamander. While the little we know about his character is that he is introverted and eccentric, Redmayne’s past works prove that he can perform and bring a personality like Scamander to life. For example, Redmayne’s stellar character work in “The Theory of Everything” as famous theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking garnered him an Academy Award for Best Actor.
At the box office, “Fantastic Beasts” is expected to finish opening weekend with at least $75 million. While there are concerns as to the characters and the American setting of the film, “Fantastic Beasts” promises to dazzle fans of the original series with a unique, previously unexplored facet of the Wizarding World.
