“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” Roundup: The Week Where We’re Overwhelmed With Information!

by · November 7, 2015

Wow, what a week it’s been! Since our last roundup, we’ve been inundated by Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them information and pictures – including, finally, our first look at Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander and some of the other cast members (as well as title designs, plot information, character summaries, and set pictures). We thought it wouldn’t be long – and our waiting finally paid off!

With the big reveal by Entertainment Weekly, plenty of other small snippets of information have come our way regarding the film – welcome to this week’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them roundup!

There’s been so much information coming our way that it’s been hard to keep up with what snippets of information are new. Yesterday, Entertainment Weekly revealed some of the secrets behind its Newt Scamander cover, including some intriguing information about Newt’s wand. After plenty of fan questions, James Hibberd, Entertainment Weekly’s Editor, addressed the question:

Staying on the same topic, in the Entertainment Weekly piece, we learn a little more about Newt’s character:

He’s a bit of an awkward fellow, and from a short distance away, the careful observer can detect clues about his origins and habits. See his open gait? That’s because he’s usually skulking through the jungle. That ill-fitting tweed jacket? The eccentric Englishman is unaccustomed to city clothes. His reticence when he’s approached? He’s uncomfortable around people.

The rumor that Eddie was going to be playing Newt Scamander persisted for quite a while, before finally being confirmed back in June. It appears that the actor was asked if he was interested in the role for a whole five months before the script was even finished, adding an extra pressure to the role.

I read those [Harry Potter] books and watched the films, and you don’t want to be the one who comes in and…. There was nervousness because what if I read the script and…

On talking to J.K Rowling about his character, he elaborated on his previous comments saying that

she could talk you through everything, every intricacy. You’re not playing a ‘real’ character, but in J.K. Rowling’s mind Newt is entirely three-dimensional, and you can talk to her about what his life was like.

The dedication that Eddie put into researching the role is also revealed; he spent time with zookeepers and animal handlers. Katherine Waterston, who plays Tina, a MACUSA employee, commented on Eddie’s dedication to the role:

The most endearing thing is watching Eddie interact with the beasts. It’s so beautiful. He’s worked out all these different dynamics with them.

It’s also revealed that the actors had to brush up on their magic. Eddie said,

You get to have a full-on discussion of what wand you have – it’s the stuff kids’ dreams are made of.

Ezra Miller, who plays Credence, commented,

As an 11-year-old, I missed the Hogwarts letter, and it bummed me out. Being a part of this makes me feel like I’ve made it to Hogwarts – as a teacher[‘s] assistant or something.

We also learned that the film would be set in 1926, and this threw up many interesting questions and observations about the context of the time. MACUSA, we learned this week, is based inside the Woolworth Building, which would only have opened in 1913 and at the time, was the tallest building in New York – not exactly the subtlest of places to hide a secret magical organization. It’s certainly intriguing to wonder where MACUSA was based before the building was built or if it even existed at all…

In another interview, Katherine Waterston revealed that she has signed on for all three Fantastic Beasts films, although she didn’t think that she’d get the role:

I just auditioned for it, and like most things, I thought they were going to pick someone else. I was really surprised when they gave it to me.

A couple of small castings have also become apparent. Actor Cam Kabadayi lists the film in his Twitter biography, but there is no further information about his role.

Anick Wiget is listed on the IMDb page as a “criminal on a wanted poster.”

Finally, actor Ron Perlman tweeted about his involvement in the film. Ron has been involved in countless projects, including Hellboy and Sons of Anarchy, so we’re excited to see what his role in the film will be!

Phew! That’s it for this week. It’s certainly been a busy week in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them world – and we can’t wait to learn more. We wonder what we’ll get next – a trailer, perhaps? Or is that too much to wish for yet?

Don’t forget to catch up on ALL the Fantastic Beasts news from this week here.

What was your highlight from the week? What are you still itching to find out? Let us know in the comments!