Does Twitter Hold a Clue About the Next Installment of “Fantastic Beasts”?

by · November 2, 2018

It seems strange to be speculating about the third installment of Fantastic Beasts when the release of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is still two weeks away. However, here at MuggleNet, it’s our job to keep you informed about all things wizarding world, even if that means scrolling through J.K. Rowling’s Twitter account until the early hours of the morning.

Let’s start with the facts. On November 1, Jo responded to a tweet asking about her Twitter header, which currently shows a busy, vintage street scene.

 

 

Moments later, she corrected the spelling error in her original tweet.

 

 

Now, here’s where things get interesting. In yet another response to a different fan, Jo suggested that she has been writing about the Brazillian city for a while.

 

 

But what could all this mean?

 

Is it Fantastic Beasts related?

Has Jo been writing the next installment of Fantastic Beasts, part or all of which is set in South America, or more specifically, Brazil?

The fact that the image features Rio de Janerio in 1930 makes this seem plausible, although it would be quite a time jump from Crimes of Grindelwald, which takes place in 1927. Potter has a large fan base in Brazil, and series director David Yates has never said that the films wouldn’t visit Brazil. In fact, during MuggleNet’s visit to the Crimes of Grindelwald set, Yates fielded a question from a Brazillian reporter with almost Ezra Miller-like skill.

Press: I’m speaking for a million Brazilian fans. Is there any chance we can see Brazil or Latin America in general in the series? We’re keen to know that. We are hoping.

David Yates: At some point, the movies are going to probably go all over the world. I know where the third movie’s going. So we started in America. We came back to England. We’re in Paris.

Additionally, Jo has also been known to use Twitter to reveal information to fans of the wizarding world. Further information about characters, locations, and fan theories have all been shared on Twitter, along with a previous instance of using the header image to baffle fans. Taking all of this on board, it wouldn’t be out of character for this new image to be some sort of cryptic reference to Fantastic Beasts.

 

Or is it something else?

Twitter users will know that Jo doesn’t shy away from politics. In fact, she often uses her platform to discuss and debate political and social issues with fans and other public figures. Therefore, it is possible that this new header could be a reference to the recent elections in Brazil, which, according to the BBC, saw the election of a far-right candidate to the office of President with a majority of the vote.

The current political context surrounding this image is hard to deny, and by changing her profile header, Jo could be making a statement of her own political views in regard to the recent Brazillian election. Add to this the range of political subtexts that can be found in both Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts (see this article and this episode of MuggleCast) and it seems likely that Jo could simply be partaking in political commentary. While this may not explain her “months” of writing about Rio de Janeiro, it’s important to consider the political contexts surrounding her choosing this image at this time.

 

What do you think the about J.K. Rowling’s new Twitter header? Is it a clue about the third Fantastic Beasts film, or a form of political commentary? Speculate with us in the comments!