Ever wonder if you’ll ever see your favorite celebrity in a Harry Potter movie?
It’s a question that’s been on many peoples’ minds ever since the trailers for the Fantastic Beasts movie dropped. Although the films aren’t set to be released until next year, fans are already speculating about which famous faces will appear in the films and which magic tricks they’ll perform. (If you want to know what magic trick Robert Pattinson is going to perform in the movie, you’ll have to wait and see.)
Since the trailers for the first Fantastic Beasts movie were released, fans have been trying to figure out who the characters are and what the story is about. To answer these questions, let’s take a look at the trailers and some of the information that was revealed about the movie.
Who Are The Fantastic Beasts?
Fantastic Beasts: The first film in the series will tell the tale of a secret organization known as “The Magical Congress” who, after the death of an heir, find themselves embroiled in a war with the evil wizard Gellert Grindelwald. The movie will introduce us to a new kind of wizard – one who is neither good nor evil, but operates on his or her own terms. (That is, most of them anyway.)
Although the series is still in the very early stages of production, we know that the main protagonist of the first film will be a character named Newt Scamander. From the looks of it, he’ll be accompanied by a pet iguana named Aragog who will assist him in carrying out his magical assignments. (Newt is played by actor Newt Scamander. Aragog is played by actor Igguane.)
Inspector Howl’s Magical Detective Agency will also be introduced in the first film, as well as a character named Jacob Kowalski, played by actor Jason Flemyn. Inspector Howl is a famous wizard who works for the Magical Congress. (Although he’s not a member himself, he acts like one.)
What Is The Magical Congress?
If you’ve ever been to school, you’ll know that there are plenty of instances where teachers or librarians give you tasks that they know you’re not capable of completing. In the same way, the Magical Congress is composed of extremely powerful wizards who know that Newt Scamander is not yet ready to take on a full-fledged investigation.
These teachers and librarians are members of the organization (in the same way that Newt and Jason are members of Newt Scamander’s group of inspectors) and assign these tasks to help him develop as a wizard. It’s a win-win for all involved: the students get to learn something new, and the teachers get to teach something new.
What Is The Hogwarts Express?
One of the most exciting aspects of the Fantastic Beasts series is the fact that it will take place in a world where magic exists. The Hogwarts Express set to appear in the first film is an example of how they will transport their students between their headquarters at Hogwarts Castle and the various wizarding schools in the area. (In the books, the train is named the “Bullet Train.”) Although the mode of transport hasn’t been confirmed yet, it’s likely to be some kind of magical steam train.
Where Do The Names Come From?
The names of the main characters in the Fantastic Beasts series are pretty self-explanatory. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, go back and take another look at the trailers.) Newt is of course the investigator, while Jacob is a kind of bodyguard for him. (And what’s an iguana doing in a Harry Potter movie anyway?) The names of the other characters will be revealed as the films progress.
Is The Main Villain Gellert Grindelwald?
The most intriguing character introduced by the trailers is Gellert Grindelwald. Although he doesn’t appear to be the main villain in the series, it’s evident that he is the big baddie behind all of this trouble. (At least, according to the trailers so far.)
Gellert is shown wearing a blue shirt with yellow lightning bolts on it in the first trailer. And it’s not the only time we see this particular design either. The same logo is seen on his robes and on the walls of his office. What exactly is the relationship between this elusive criminal and the main protagonist of the series, Newt Scamander?
While we don’t know much about this character yet, his appearance is a clear indication that he is a powerful wizard who wants to take over the world with an army of monsters. (Although it is not yet confirmed that these creatures will be hostile towards humans, it’s certainly an ominous sign.) It seems that Gellert has created an organization called the “Society for the Reform of Unnatural Living,” which is composed of Death Eaters. (As you might expect, these are the bad guys in this story. The good guys are the ones who are fighting them.) The trailer reveals that the leader of this group is a man named Lord Voldemort. (Yes, that’s right – the very same Voldemort who was played by Richard Harris in the Harry Potter series.)
What Is Death Eaters?
In addition to Gellert Grindelwald, the Fantastic Beasts films will introduce us to another villainous cabal known as the “Death Eaters.” These wizards (or witches) work for the evil wizard Voldemort.
It’s not yet clear what connection, if any, this group of Death Eaters have to the events of the Harry Potter series, but it seems likely that they will be drawn from it. (Perhaps this is why Gellert calls them “Supporters of Harry Potter.”)
Is There A Love Triangle?
If there’s one thing we’ve learned about the Harry Potter series so far, it’s that this story is certainly going to involve a love triangle. The trailer for the first film reveals that Jacob, a kind of bodyguard for Newt, has feelings for the investigator. (Although it’s not yet clear what these feelings are exactly, it is strongly suggested that they are not reciprocated.)
On the other hands, the trailer shows that Queenie Goldstein, a rich young witch who happens to be Jacob’s mother, has eyes only for Newt. It is heavily implied in the trailer that she has known his kind before and is enamored with his mysterious ways. (It should be noted that Newt’s father was a famous archaeologist who was killed when Newt was a young boy.)
The question is: will these three become friends or will one of them inevitably end up playing a role in the other’s eventual demise? (It seems likely that Jacob’s loyalty will be put to the test in the upcoming films.)
Does Newt Have Any Friends?
In the trailer for the first Fantastic Beasts movie, we’re shown a group of young people arriving at a station. As they’re disembarking the train, they make their way off the platform and towards the exit. (It is not yet clear whether this is a domestic or international train ride, but I’d guess the latter since Newt’s pet iguana, Aragog, is with him.)
As we’re led into shot, a voice-over says, “Newt Scamander has never had any friends,” followed by the image of a bespectacled boy in a yellow raincoat staring straight into the camera lens.
This solitary image is the only glimpse we get of Newt in the trailer. And what a solitary image it is. We see the profile of a boy who appears to be walking towards the sunset with a slight limp. There’s no laughter or banter between him and the people he is traveling with. In short, it’s a very lonely image.
In the final installment of the Harry Potter series, we learn that Newt makes a few friends (and a few enemies) along the way. But at this point, it’s still very early in the process and we don’t know much about these characters. (There’s also a chance that they could end up being named characters in the series instead of being background characters like in the trailer for Fantastic Beasts.) In any event, it seems safe to assume that Newt will have at least a few friends by the end of the series.