News and Gossip From the New Harry Potter Film
Image Credit: Karen Roe via Flickr
Filming has begun on the next instalment in the Harry Potter universe, and fans are screaming out for every snippet of news, rumour and gossip they can get their hands on. The cameras began rolling on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them back in August, but getting insider info has been harder than drawing blood from a philosopher’s stone (sorry).
J.K. Rowling has been on top form throughout the build up, mastering the art of fuelling anticipation without giving anything significant away. Meanwhile, lead actor Eddie Redmayne nicely sums up how many revelations fans can expect before the film’s release, explaining, “I’m allowed to say absolutely nothing!”
Release date and cast confirmed, filming starts
Perhaps the most important news for any Potter fan is that filming is in progress, we know the release date and we know who’s playing who (it’s really happening!). The first instalment of the Fantastic Beasts trilogy will hit UK screens on 18th November 2016, and the main cast is confirmed as follows:
- Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander
- Colin Farrell as Graves
- Ezra Miller as Credence
- Samantha Morton as Mary Lou
- Katherine Waterson as Porpentina Goldstein
- Dan Folger as Jacob
- Alison Sudol as Queenie Goldstein
source: imdb.com
Questions asked about race in the Potterverse
It hasn’t all been good news on the casting front though, after a “long-term” fan expressed her anger at an all-white cast. Rowling was quick to defend the casting choices, insisting “Everyone in #FantasticBeasts is not white,” and asking fans for patience until the trilogy is complete.
@Vividscarletsky Everyone in #FantasticBeasts is not white.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) August 25, 2015
Rowling reminds us there are three new films on the horizon and we haven’t met everyone yet, although an all-white cast (so far) has added to the talking point already set by the Every Single Word project.
Expectations are higher than the original HP films
It’s fair to assume hardcore Harry fans will be happy enough there are three more films slated for release, but there are genuine expectations the Fantastic Beasts series will top the original HP films.
Only time will tell whether Potter addicts will agree – after all, letting go of the original series can prove difficult, judging by the hoard of fans who still visit the London studio tour which preserves sets and memorabilia from the films.
However, there are plenty of reasons to believe the hype that the next Potterverse instalment could be an improvement on the last. A high-profile cast in this case bring a wealth of promise that Daniel Radcliffe and his child co-stars couldn’t offer in the early films, while J.K. Rowling is writing the scripts for the Fantastic Beasts series herself.
The Potterverse extends until 2020
Fans can relax in the knowledge that the Fantastic Beasts films will extend the Potterverse until 2020, when the final movie is scheduled for release. Of course, this doesn’t mean the end is in sight for the franchise – just take a look at the Star Wars resurgence for an idea of how long popular series can live on.
So, while the chance of seeing Radcliffe and co. don the cloaks once again may be asking too much, Potter addicts can be confident J.K. Rowling is far from finished telling the wider stories surrounding the world’s favourite boy wizard.
Category: Entertainment
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