We’ve Seen Pictures, Now Here Is The Plot For ‘Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them’

On Wednesday, we were treated to the first few images of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the new Harry Potter spin-off and prequel trilogy that comes out next year. Today, were getting a closer look at the story in the form of a very loose synopsis from Entertainment Weekly. As is the case with many modern movies with a ton of buzz surrounding it, the cast and crew of Fantastic Beasts were sworn to secrecy to guard details about the movie very closely. But some details were released and we’re getting a (slightly) clearer idea.

Eccentric magizoologist Newt Scamander (Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne) comes to New York (for a reason we won’t disclose) with his trusty weathered case. This case is one of those way-way-way-bigger-on-the-inside magical devices, and within are expansive habitats for a collection of rare and endangered magical creatures from Newt’s travels around globe. He discovers the American wizarding community is fearfully hiding from Muggles … and the threat of public exposure is an even graver concern than in the UK (remember the Salem witch trials?). Fantastic Beasts is the story of what happens when this uniquely skilled English wizard travels to wiz-phobic America and a variety of his creatures, some quite dangerous … get out of their case.

So, it’s going to be a story about one group of people being oppressed, hmm? Funny the plot should bring that up because many Potter fans have been wondering why the cast members we saw were all white. The Harry Potter series had a very strong message about diversity and had a very diverse cast to go with it. So, what’s the deal with Fantastic Beasts? Well, much like the synopsis, there is a lot that still hasn’t been revealed, including the cast. J.K. Rowling, who is writing the Fantastic Beasts screenplay, actually responded to a complaint on Twitter to address this issue:

There will be more to come while Fantastic Beasts continues to film, so expect to see more information and images leak out in tiny little controlled drips. Like water torture.

(via Entertainment Weekly)

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