We break down the footage from the new Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them trailer, and analyze the ten big moments contained within.
The first trailer for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them arrived this morning at 6am EST. As this was an “announcement trailer,” much of it was an invitation from Warner Brothers to return once more to the Wizarding World, and meet a whole set of new characters in a new and more dangerous part of the world for wizards and witches. But that doesn’t mean there wasn’t new images and clues for us to pore over in between. We’ve taken screen shots of the ten biggest moments in the trailer and break down what they mean for the plot and the characters.
Lumos Maxima!
The movie is named for Newt Scamader’s famous book, and his arrival in New York City is the catalyst for the adventure to come. But the trailer opens with our first good look at a different character: Porpentina Goldstein. She is the American witch he befriends (and for those who know his history, will later marry.) Currently, she is an employee of the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA.)
Next: Porpentina Addresses the MACUSA
This is Porpentina’s dramatic address to the MACUSA, which also serves as the trailer’s plot summary. The escape of Scamader’s beasts is a huge crisis for the American Wizarding World, who during this period are undergoing serious persecution by certain extremest segments of the No-Maj population. One of these, who we will see in the movie, is called the New Salem Philanthropic Society, alternately, the NSPS, or “The Second-Salemers.”
This is Seraphina, played by Carmen Ejogo. From the looks of this scene, she may be the President of the MACUSA, or at least one of the leaders. Certainly she is who Newt Scamader will have to answer to for his mistake.
“Yesterday a wizard entered New York with a case, the case full of magical creatures. And unfortunately some have escaped.” A shot of innocent No-Majs, as well as an establishing shot of the time period, unaware of what is about to be unleashed with Newt’s arrival.
A close up shot of Scamander case, which contains the magical creatures which will soon be loosed upon the unsuspecting populace. One has to wonder if he is the one carrying in this shot, or if it is a poor unsuspecting No-Maj who accidentally gets hold of it when it gets lost.
The damaged apartment, probably from an escpaed creature from Newt’s case. That looks to be Colin Ferrell inside. He plays Percival Graves, who according to reports is a high-ranking auror, set with the task of tracking down Newt after his creatures get lose. Clearly, he is too late to capture whatever creature was once here, or Scamander. The question is, was this the Goldsteins’ apartment that was destroyed? Or someone else’s?
Next: Someone can't keep his case closed....
The plot synopsis suggests that Newt Scamander will lose his case full of creatures, and that the unsuspecting person (No-Maj?) who finds it opens said case, allowing the creatures to get loose. Even so, it seems that Newt is having trouble keeping them all locked away anyway, as the longest scene in the trailer shows him opening up his case to check on his magical creature pals, one of whom responds with a roar.
Porpentina does not look pleased with Newt’s risk taking. Even if he’s only opening the case “just a smidge.” Unlike Scamander, she grew up here in America, and clearly fears any magical anything getting out, because of the danger it could bring. If only Scamander were as cautious.
Next: Scamander is Very Uncautious
Newt is not only a risk taker with his case. He’s also not so circumspect with his magic use in the streets of New York City. One assumes he must be chasing down one of his escaped creatures here, but the voice over (which I’m pretty sure is Tina) yelling his name is horror seems less concerned with the creature and more with his unbridled use of magic in public.
Next: Magic In the World Once More
Have you missed seeing magic on screen? Because it wasn’t until this moment as the spell shot out of Scamader’s wand and I got chills that I realized how damn much I missed it. Only eleven more months until the magic of the Wizarding World returns to our screen. I can hardly wait.
Next: Watch the first Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Trailer here
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them opens November 18th, 2016.