Hey, look! We just got an official full-length trailer for the upcoming film, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them! Is it just me, or is this film being totally under-anticipated (is that a term?). I legit thought the Internet would go in a frenzy when this trailer dropped last night, but it seems like people really don’t care. I guess everyone is either too hyped up about Suicide Squad, or they’re all thinking the same thing as me: there’s no point to this film.
Here’s the trailer in case you missed it.
Like I said, there’s no point to this film in my opinion. Sure, the trailer looked like a cute little ride, but did we honestly need a prequel/spin-off to Harry Potter? We already have another story in the book series coming out this summer in the form of a stage play; why are they going this route and creating an entire film out of an encyclopedia found within the book? Not only that, but they’re making it into a trilogy! A trilogy!
This is going to be like The Hobbit all over again. Don’t get me started on why that story should never have been turned into a trilogy, but Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them definitely has no business as a movie series. I actually own a copy of the book, which isn’t really a narrative of any sorts. It’s a tiny gimmick booklet that acts as an encyclopedia for all the creatures in the world of Harry Potter. There is literally no story, and it probably contains no more than 500 words. It’s like one of those thin comic book prizes you find in a cereal box.
Now, since it’s meant to be a book within a book, there’s obviously some canon lore about it in the Harry Potter universe. All we know is that Fantastic Beasts was written by a wizard/cryptozoologist named Newt Scamander. They BARELY talk about him within the Harry Potter series. So what makes people think they can turn it into a big movie franchise?
I could be wrong, and this film could end up being fantastic (no pun intended). But I highly doubt it’ll happen. Judging by the trailer, the story seems very straightforward – Newt Scamander is an English wizard who ventures to New York City to gather and index the magical creatures of the world. While he’s there, he meets with the American society of wizards and witches, showing a whole new world of magic that we’ve never seen before. American audiences might be thrilled to learn about their own culture being shown within the Harry Potter series for once, but I couldn’t care less.
In the trailer, we hear a passing reference to good old Albus Dumbledore, a respected teacher (soon to be Headmaster) at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Remember, this film is taking place 70 years before the events of the main Harry Potter series, so obviously there will be references tossed in here and there. My problem is the same issue as to what happened with The Hobbit – they’re going to cram as many Easter Eggs and references to the original series as they can. Every five minutes, they’ll have to remind people “Hey, remember that scene in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone? This is connected to it!” I just hope they won’t do something incredibly stupid and nonsensical like having Scamander teaming up with Harry Potter’s grandparents or something. If you’re going to create a movie out of paper-thin resources, at least have the guts to let it stand on its own feet.
As you can tell, I’m very bitter about the whole situation. I probably wouldn’t have been as bitter if they didn’t toss in the Dumbledore reference in the trailer. It’s like when they shoved in Legolas in The Hobbit movies. Gahhhh, it’s so annoying!
I can’t comment much on the casting so far. Eddie Redmayne wouldn’t be my first choice for a film about wizards. For some reason, I pictured Matt Smith as the ideal character for this role. But I’m not going to write off Redmayne since he’s proven himself as a versatile and extremely talented actor over the years. My only question is whether his performance will completely overshadow everyone else in the film? You’ve got this renown actor hot off the Academy Award-winning train; he’ll most likely steal the entire show.
I will say that I’m so happy Ron Perlman has a role in this movie. He’s described as the owner of a speakeasy who crosses paths with Newt. I wonder if he’s going to be an actual wizard, or if he’s just a Muggle with an attitude. If he IS a wizard, he better have a bad-ass unorthodox wand-cane or something.
Regardless of the acting talent, I’m still pessimistic about the film. Maybe you’re not as cynical as me. If you’re a huge Harry Potter fan, you might be excited for this movie since it’s only continuing the magical story, not to mention the fact that author J.K. Rowling has helped write the new films. However, I’m extremely hesitant about Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them even though I’ve been a fan of the series since I was 10 years old. The trailer didn’t get me too hyped, but my attitude could change by November.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will hit theaters on November 18th, 2016.
Are you excited for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? What were your thoughts on the trailer? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter.
