In 2016, after having quite a drought out Harry Potter films, a new taste of the wizarding
world comes into theatres worldwide. These movies are loosely based off of J.K. Rowling’s book
of the same name, which is originally a small book that is a guide to the magical creatures of the
wizarding world (and is supposed to be written by the movie’s lead: Newt Scamander). J.K.
Rowling did not only write the book based on these movies, but she also turned it into a script, new
characters and everything, for the films and produced both movies as well.
These films take place in New York, about 70 years before the Harry Potter books were
meant to take place. Because of this, the audience (who are usually longtime fans) gets a new look
at what the wizarding world is like outside of Hogwarts and even outside of England.
The first movie, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, follows the lead protagonist,
Newt Scamander who has just completed a global circuit to find and document an extraordinary
an array of magical creatures. Arriving in New York only for a momentary stopover, but then he
meets a Muggle named Jacob, gets wrapped up in a misplaced magical case, and some of Newt’s
fantastic beasts escape, which could spell trouble for both the wizarding and non-magic folk
worlds.
Two years later, in November of this year, the awaited continuation to the new series of
films part of the beloved wizarding world of Harry Potter, the Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of
Grindelwald came to theaters. Including the main characters from the first film, it also includes
some familiar faces from Hogwarts and a brand new antagonist. Set in mostly in Paris, a young
Albus Dumbledore asks Newt Scamander (his former student) to help thwart the new villain,
Grindelwald’s plans of raising pure-blood wizards to rule over all non-magical people. Newt agrees
to help, but he is unaware of the dangers that lie ahead and he and the people who help him will
get tangled into something worse than they could ever imagine.
