Watch the Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them Panel at SDCC

Eddie Redmayne, David Yates and more heavyweights from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them gathered for a panel at San Diego Comic-Con.

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San Diego Comic-Con 2016 has come and gone, and we’re here to break down what happened. The cast and crew from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them showed up for a panel about the movie moderated by TBS’ Conan O’Brien. The panelists were:

• Director David Yates
• Eddie Redmayne (Newt Scamander)
• Katherine Waterston (Popentina Goldstein)
• Alison Sudol (Queenie Goldstein)
• Dan Fogler (Jacob Kowalski)
• Colin Farrell (Percival Graves)
• Ezra Miller (Credence)

At the time we liveblogged the entire two hour panel, because we weren’t sure when Fantastic Beasts would be appearing in the line up. Turned out it was at the very end, with Rowling’s magic return to the Potterverse closing a very long panel that was about 75% DC comics based movies. Fantastic Beasts took up the final 20 minutes.

Have a watch:

I gotta say, the panel was heavier on shtick than I thought it would be, not that having Eddie Redmayne hand out wands to attendees wasn’t fun. According to a source behind the scenes, that particular stunt wasn’t cleared with the proper authorities beforehand, since Warner Bros. wanted it to be a surprise. Wands are considered weapons that are supposed to be checked before arrival, and some higher-ups weren’t happy with the way it played out. At least it made for a fun visual.

After the panel started in earnest, Yates named a number of new beasts we’d see in the movie, including the vanishing demiguise and the “serpent-like” occamies, which can shape-shift. It seems like J.K. Rowling’s imagination is off and running.

Alison Sudol: “Who’s a Harry Potter fan in here?” Can’t go wrong with that question if you want a guaranteed cheer.

In fact, a lot of the panelists seemed to know just how to play to this particular audience. For example, I liked how Dan Fogler contextualized the fact that his character, Jacob Kowalski, didn’t use magic but had a major role in the film: “Y’know, Han Solo wasn’t a Jedi.” Well played, Folger.

FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM

EDDIE REDMAYNE

Comic-Con 2016

Day 3 – July 23, 2016 – San Diego, CA

Photograph by Matthias Clamer

Folger was a highlight of the panel in general. At 13:35, he seemed on the verge of revealing a spoiler, and even though he didn’t, it was fun to see other cast members shift into panic mode for a second.

Next: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them GIF Party

I also liked how much the cast members praised famed costume designer Colleen Atwood. Can we already assume that Fantastic Beasts will be nominated for a Best Costumes Oscar in 2017?

By the way, the images throughout this post come courtesy of Entertainment Weekly. This last one is from The Flash panel, featuring Harry Potter veteran Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) and Flash star Grant Gustin.

THE FLASH L to R: TOM FELTON AND GRANT GUSTIN Comic-Con 2016 Day 3 – July 23, 2016 – San Diego, CA Photograph by Matthias Clamer

Felton is joining the cast of The Flash for its third season, and pointed out that the last time he was at Comic-Con he was representing a franchise “symbolized by a lightning bolt and now here I am.” Everything’s coming full circle, particularly since interest in Harry Potter is at the highest point it’s been at in years. Let’s ride that wave.