Moviefone Editorial

Tag: fantastic-beasts

  • Fall 2018 Movie Preview: 36 Horror Movies, Blockbusters, and Dramas You Must See This Year

    Fall 2018 Movie Preview: 36 Horror Movies, Blockbusters, and Dramas You Must See This Year

  • ‘Fantastic Beasts 2’ Reveals Your Next Cute Obsession

    ‘Fantastic Beasts 2’ Reveals Your Next Cute Obsession

    Warner Bros.

    The first “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” film opened up an entirely new window into the Wizarding World, and all of the awesome magical creatures that populate it. And the next flick will feature even more new critters to obsess over, beginning with perhaps the cutest yet.

    Entertainment Weekly has the scoop that “Fantastic Beasts 2” will feature a smaller version of a creature that fans got to know pretty well in original film. Behold, the baby Niffler:

    Warner Bros.

    The little furball is insanely tiny, sailing in front of Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) while clutching onto what looks like a champagne cork that’s flying across the room. That’s just the beginning of the trouble these critters can cause, according to EW, which says they are “just as mischievous as their parents.”

    “They’re wreaking havoc,” Redmayne told EW of the litter of newborn Nifflers he’s attempting to contain.

    That sounds positively adorable, and we are here for it. There will be plenty more new beasts in round two of the series, too, and we can’t wait to see all them in action.

    “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” is due in theaters on November 16.

    [via: Entertainment Weekly]

  • Jude Law and Johnny Depp Don’t Have Any Scenes Together in ‘Fantastic Beasts 2’

    Jude Law and Johnny Depp Don’t Have Any Scenes Together in ‘Fantastic Beasts 2’

    Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
    Warner Bros.

    Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald have a long history together, but it’s just getting started in “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.”

    The second film in the “Fantastic Beasts” series introduces Jude Law as Dumbledore, with Johnny Depp as Grindelwald.

    If you were hoping they’d have some great scenes together … start hoping for that in “Fantastic Beasts 3.”

    It was expected that the characters would at least connect in “Fantastic Beasts 2.” The two characters became close as teens, but apparently it’s not quite time yet in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter canon for the two to reconnect as adults.

    In the same interview where Jude Law talked about Dumbledore’s sexuality, he discussed not actually sharing any scenes with Johnny Depp:

    Obviously, Dumbledore had a relationship with Grindelwald. What’s that relationship like at this point in time? And what was it like working with Johnny Depp?

    “I don’t actually have any scenes with Johnny. As I said before, this is only Part 2 of a longer story. I’ve always admired him from afar, but we don’t know each other, and I’ve not yet met him on this. In many ways that suits the relationship as it’s been many years since they’ve seen each other. So there’s complexity in that that’s fun to mine. Again, the past will reveal itself.”

    So we have to wait until “Fantastic Beasts 3” for that? Or 4? Or 5? There are five planned movies. Really, though. Fans are curious about the relationship between these two guys — and not even in a romantic way, just as two powerful wizards we know eventually face-off as friends-turned-foes.

    Eddie Redmayne (Newt Scamander) told EW the tone of the second film is much darker than the first one, and it plays like a thriller.

    “The most riveting aspect is the tonal change. It’s darker and more rigorous and weaving in the Potter lore we’re much more familiar with. So these characters you met in the first film are now in the wizarding world you understand more thoroughly. When I read [the script] it had these cryptic elements to it and it played like a thriller that made it a page-turner.”

    Here’s the official film synopsis:

    “Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald’ is the second of five all new adventures in J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World.

    At the end of the first film, the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) was captured by MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America), with the help of Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne). But, making good on his threat, Grindelwald escaped custody and has set about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings.

    In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans, Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) enlists his former student Newt Scamander, who agrees to help, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.

    The film features an ensemble cast led by Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, with Jude Law and Johnny Depp. The cast also includes, Zoë Kravitz, Callum Turner, Claudia Kim, William Nadylam, Kevin Guthrie, Carmen Ejogo, and Poppy Corby-Tuech.”

    Here’s the official teaser trailer, from March:

    “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” opens in theaters November 16.

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  • J.K. Rowling Is Now Writing ‘Fantastic Beasts 3’ (and Explaining Her Producer Role)

    Picture “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling over in Scotland. She’s hard at work in her writing room in the garden, drinking tea with classical music on in the background, as she writes the next “Fantastic Beasts” script.

    Rowling gave fans more insight into her writing process on her website, and revealed she’s currently working on the third movie screenplay, in the planned five-film “Fantastic Beasts” series.

    Here’s part of what she revealed in a fan Q&A:

    “I’ve just finished the fourth Galbraith novel, Lethal White, and I’m now writing the screenplay for Fantastic Beasts 3. After that I’ll be writing another book for children. I’ve been playing with the (non-Harry Potter/wizarding world) story for about six years, so it’s about time I get it down on paper.”

    “Lethal White” is the latest novel in The Cormoran Strike series she writes as Robert Galbraith. Fun fact: “C.B. Strike” premieres tonight (June 1) on Cinemax, adapting her first Strike novel, “The Cuckoo’s Calling.”

    The third “Fantastic Beasts” movie already has a release date of November 2020. It will follow “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” which came out in 2016, and “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” which opens this November 2018.

    Rowling doesn’t just write the scripts, she’s also a producer of the “Harry Potter” prequel films. She was asked what exactly is her role as producer, and how much say does she have in the look and feel of the films. Here’s her answer:

    “Warner Bros and David Yates, the director, have always let me have my say, though not necessarily the final word. That’s true of all the producers, of whom I’m only one: our input is taken seriously but it is very much a collaborative effort. The director is ultimately responsible for everything that’s seen on the screen. As the screenwriter, the majority of my input comes at an earlier stage.”

    During another section, when asked about collaborating on several projects, she revealed more details:

    “The thing with movies is, however frustrated you get with the screenwriting process, and right at the moment when you think ‘never again, this is too hard’, you go down to the film set and join in with one big glorious game of pretend, with the world’s best pretenders saying your words, and dressing out of the most fabulous dressing up box, and what with the lights and the smoke and the music you’re suddenly in love with the process all over again.”

    “Fantastic Beasts 2,” aka “The Crimes of Grindelwald,” opens in theaters November 16th.

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  • ‘Fantastic Beasts 2’ Trailer Upsets ‘Harry Potter’ Fans With Apparent Rule Break

    How many times does Hermione have to say it?

    The first trailer for “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” was released Tuesday. When fans weren’t busy drooling over young Dumbledore (Jude Law) and checking out Grindelwald’s (Johnny Depp) new look, they took a moment to fire off some “canon” blasts.

    The problem is the shot toward the very start of the trailer, showing several people apparating onto Hogwarts grounds.


    We’ve been told time and again that you can’t apparate on Hogwarts grounds. That area qualifies as the Hogwarts grounds. The rule is apparently not new, circa the 20th Century timeline of these movies. We’ve been told it’s always been the case.

    So now there’s a debate about it — was it a plot hole? J.K. Rowling herself wrote the “Fantastic Beasts” scripts, so you’d think she’d know. Unless the shot was added in by director David Yates, but he too would also know.

    It’s probably well-thought-out, and the running theory seems to be that they lifted the rule for a visit from the Minister for Magic. We have seen that the enchantments can be lifted on certain occasions, like Apparition lessons. Dumbledore was not Headmaster in this era, he was still Professor of Transfiguration, but the Headmaster could lift the enchantment.

    Fans lashed out on Twitter, debating what happened:


    There must’ve been a good reason for the shot to be included so prominently in the trailer. Or maybe Rowling and Yates just assumed fans would understand the rule was lifted for an important visit from the Minister. “Fantastic Beasts 2” opens in theaters November 16th.

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  • Daniel Radcliffe Weighs in on Johnny Depp ‘Fantastic Beasts’ Casting

    Accio, controversy!

    Daniel Radcliffe is not part of the “Fantastic Beasts” movies, which are prequels to “Harry Potter,” but he did tie the recent Johnny Depp debate to the Potter films.

    As you probably know, there’s been chatter in the HP fandom about the casting of Johnny Depp as dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald. He’ll obviously have a major role in the second film, since it’s called “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.” Director David Yates and J.K. Rowling both weighed in with support of Johnny Depp, although they couldn’t go into detail due to “agreements” between Johnny Depp and ex-wife Amber Heard. Heard had accused Depp of abuse, but he was never arrested or charged.

    Entertainment Weekly asked Daniel Radcliffe, aka Harry Potter, about the controversy. He made a comparison to Jamie Waylett, who played Crabbe in six “Harry Potter” films and was fired before the two “Deathly Hallows” movies ended the series. His firing was tied to his arrest for growing 10 marijuana plants in his mother’s home in 2009. He pleaded guilty.

    Here’s DanRad’s response to EW when asked about the Depp casting controversy:

    “It’s a very hard thing for me [since the producers] gave me a great start in life and an amazing job. [However] I can see why people are frustrated with the response that they were given from that … I’m not saying anything that anybody hasn’t already said — and this is a weird analogy to draw — [but] in the NFL, there are lots of players arrested for smoking weed and there is other people’s behavior that goes way beyond that and it’s tolerated because they’re very famous players. I suppose the thing I was struck by was, we did have a guy who was reprimanded for weed on the [original Potter] film, essentially, so obviously what Johnny has been accused of is much greater than that.”

    It is apples to oranges to compare a guy who admitted to a crime to a guy who was accused of a crime but never charged. However, there’s a good point in there about the power of the “very famous” when it comes to getting off the hook. Don’t be naive enough to think superstar money isn’t a huge help in keeping stars’ legal woes under wraps. That’s what the lawyers are paid big bucks for.

    Anyway, everyone seems to have strong feelings on the subject but the truth is we have no idea what went on in the Depp-Heard marriage. If you support him, you don’t really know what he did. If you support her, you don’t really know what she did. But the debate will probably continue to rage until “The Crimes of Grindelwald” opens in theaters November 16. For the record, we’re perfectly happy keeping the conversation on young Dumbledore and ignoring Grindelwald entirely.

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  • Two New ‘Fantastic Beasts’ Photos Show Off Jude Law & Johnny Depp

    The “passionate, mischievous” young Dumbledore looks good so far.

    Jude Law is stepping into the iconic Harry Potter role in “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” the second of five planned films in Newt Scamander’s (Eddie Redmayne) “Fantastic Beasts” series.

    A full cast photo was previously released — that’s it above — including Jude Law as young(er) Professor Albus Dumbledore, along with Johnny Depp as the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald.

    USA Today recently shared two new photos, not of the old friends-turned-rivals together, but of both gents with their respective allies.

    Here’s Grindelwald with one of his followers, Rosier (Poppy Corby-Tuech):

    And here’s Dumbledore, apparently at Hogwarts:

    As director David Yates explained to USA Today, this second film shows Dumbledore as a rebel professor who “refuses to conform to the status quo” and is “passionate, mischievous and an inspiration” to his young students: “Dumbledore sees Newt as a kindred spirit, an outsider, who is misunderstood. They recognize each other’s strengths and vulnerabilities.”

    Newt and Albus will have to work together to face Grindelwald, “a charismatic figure who uses his undeniable appeal to inspire others to blindly follow his cause.” Yates further explained that his plan involves “suppressing all non-magical beings, whom he views as inferior to wizards.”

    “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” — costarring Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Zoe Kravitz, Claudia Kim, and Callum Turner — opens November 16, 2018.

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  • BAFTA Nominations Hail ‘La La Land,’ ‘Arrival,’ ‘Fantastic Beasts’

    The British Academy of Film and Television Arts released its slate of nominees for the best films of 2016 on Tuesday, hailing current awards season favorites as well as some outliers that have so far flown under the radar this year.

    It’s no surprise that recent juggernaut “La La Land” racked up the most BAFTA nominations, scoring 11 nods including best film, director, original screenplay, actor, and actress, as well as citations in a bunch of technical categories. Tied for second place with nine nominations apiece were “Arrival” and “Nocturnal Animals,” with recent surprise Golden Globe winner Aaron Taylor-Johnson receiving another nod for the latter film.

    “Harry Potter” spinoff “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” also racked up an impressive number of nominations, with citations in five categories, including Outstanding British Film. But “Potter” author J.K. Rowling missed out on a screenwriting nod for her feature film debut, and also failed to earn a spot among nominees in the Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer category.

    The full list of film nominations is below. The 2016 British Academy Film Awards will be handed out at a ceremony in London on February 12.

    BEST FILM
    ARRIVAL Dan Levine, Shawn Levy, David Linde, Aaron Ryder
    I, DANIEL BLAKE Rebecca O’Brien
    LA LA LAND Fred Berger, Jordan Horowitz, Marc Platt
    MANCHESTER BY THE SEA Lauren Beck, Matt Damon, Chris Moore, Kimberly Steward,
    Kevin J. Walsh
    MOONLIGHT Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Adele Romanski

    OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
    AMERICAN HONEY Andrea Arnold, Lars Knudsen, Pouya Shahbazian, Jay Van Hoy
    DENIAL Mick Jackson, Gary Foster, Russ Krasnoff, David Hare
    FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM David Yates, David Heyman, Steve Kloves, J.K. Rowling, Lionel Wigram
    I, DANIEL BLAKE Ken Loach, Rebecca O’Brien, Paul Laverty
    NOTES ON BLINDNESS Peter Middleton, James Spinney, Mike Brett, Jo-Jo Ellison, Steve Jamison
    UNDER THE SHADOW Babak Anvari, Emily Leo, Oliver Roskill, Lucan Toh

    OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
    The Girl With All the Gifts: MIKE CAREY (Writer), CAMILLE GATIN (Producer)
    The Hard Stop: GEORGE AMPONSAH (Writer/Director/Producer), DIONNE WALKER (Writer/Producer)
    Notes on Blindness: PETER MIDDLETON (Writer/Director/Producer), JAMES SPINNEY (Writer/Director), JO-JO ELLISON (Producer)
    The Pass: JOHN DONNELLY (Writer), BEN A. WILLIAMS (Director)
    Under the Shadow: BABAK ANVARI (Writer/Director), EMILY LEO, OLIVER ROSKILL, LUCAN TOH (Producers)

    FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
    DHEEPAN Jacques Audiard, Pascal Caucheteux
    JULIETA Pedro Almodóvar
    MUSTANG Deniz Gamze Ergüven, Charles Gillibert
    SON OF SAUL László Nemes, Gábor Sipos
    TONI ERDMANN Maren Ade, Janine Jackowski

    DOCUMENTARY
    13th Ava DuVernay
    THE BEATLES: EIGHT DAYS A WEEK- THE TOURING YEARS Ron Howard
    THE EAGLE HUNTRESS Otto Bell, Stacey Reiss
    NOTES ON BLINDNESS Peter Middleton, James Spinney
    WEINER Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg

    ANIMATED FILM
    FINDING DORY Andrew Stanton
    KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS Travis Knight
    MOANA Ron Clements, John Musker
    ZOOTROPOLIS Byron Howard, Rich Moore

    DIRECTOR
    ARRIVAL Denis Villeneuve
    I, DANIEL BLAKE Ken Loach
    LA LA LAND Damien Chazelle
    MANCHESTER BY THE SEA Kenneth Lonergan
    NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Tom Ford

    ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
    HELL OR HIGH WATER Taylor Sheridan
    I, DANIEL BLAKE Paul Laverty
    LA LA LAND Damien Chazelle
    MANCHESTER BY THE SEA Kenneth Lonergan
    MOONLIGHT Barry Jenkins

    ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
    ARRIVAL Eric Heisserer
    HACKSAW RIDGE Andrew Knight, Robert Schenkkan
    HIDDEN FIGURES Theodore Melfi, Allison Schroeder
    LION Luke Davies
    NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Tom Ford

    LEADING ACTOR
    ANDREW GARFIELD Hacksaw Ridge
    CASEY AFFLECK Manchester by the Sea
    JAKE GYLLENHAAL Nocturnal Animals
    RYAN GOSLING La La Land
    VIGGO MORTENSEN Captain Fantastic

    LEADING ACTRESS
    AMY ADAMS Arrival
    EMILY BLUNT The Girl on the Train
    EMMA STONE La La Land
    MERYL STREEP Florence Foster Jenkins
    NATALIE PORTMAN Jackie

    SUPPORTING ACTOR
    AARON TAYLOR-JOHNSON Nocturnal Animals
    DEV PATEL Lion
    HUGH GRANT Florence Foster Jenkins
    JEFF BRIDGES Hell or High Water
    MAHERSHALA ALI Moonlight

    SUPPORTING ACTRESS
    HAYLEY SQUIRES I, Daniel Blake
    MICHELLE WILLIAMS Manchester by the Sea
    NAOMIE HARRIS Moonlight
    NICOLE KIDMAN Lion
    VIOLA DAVIS Fences

    ORIGINAL MUSIC
    ARRIVAL Jóhann Jóhannsson
    JACKIE Mica Levi
    LA LA LAND Justin Hurwitz
    LION Dustin O’Halloran, Hauschka
    NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Abel Korzeniowski

    CINEMATOGRAPHY
    ARRIVAL Bradford Young
    HELL OR HIGH WATER Giles Nuttgens
    LA LA LAND Linus Sandgren
    LION Greig Fraser
    NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Seamus McGarvey

    EDITING
    ARRIVAL Joe Walker
    HACKSAW RIDGE John Gilbert
    LA LA LAND Tom Cross
    MANCHESTER BY THE SEA Jennifer Lame
    NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Joan Sobel

    PRODUCTION DESIGN
    DOCTOR STRANGE Charles Wood, John Bush
    FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM Stuart Craig, Anna Pinnock
    HAIL, CAESAR! Jess Gonchor, Nancy Haigh
    LA LA LAND David Wasco, Sandy Reynolds-Wasco
    NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Shane Valentino, Meg Everist

    COSTUME DESIGN
    ALLIED Joanna Johnston
    FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM Colleen Atwood
    FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS Consolata Boyle
    JACKIE Madeline Fontaine
    LA LA LAND Mary Zophres

    MAKE UP & HAIR
    DOCTOR STRANGE Jeremy Woodhead
    FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS J. Roy Helland, Daniel Phillips
    HACKSAW RIDGE Shane Thomas
    NOCTURNAL ANIMALS Donald Mowat, Yolanda Toussieng
    ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY Nominees tbc

    SOUND
    ARRIVAL Sylvain Bellemare, Claude La Haye, Bernard Gariépy Strobl
    DEEPWATER HORIZON Dror Mohar​, Mike Prestwood Smith, Wylie Stateman, David Wyman
    FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM Niv Adiri, Glenn Freemantle, Simon Hayes, Andy Nelson, Ian Tapp
    HACKSAW RIDGE Peter Grace, Robert Mackenzie, Kevin O’Connell, Andy Wright
    LA LA LAND Mildred Iatrou Morgan, Ai-Ling Lee, Steve A. Morrow, Andy Nelson

    SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
    ARRIVAL Louis Morin
    DOCTOR STRANGE Richard Bluff, Stephane Ceretti, Paul Corbould, Jonathan Fawkner
    FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM Tim Burke, Pablo Grillo, Christian Manz, David Watkins
    THE JUNGLE BOOK Robert Legato, Dan Lemmon, Andrew R. Jones, Adam Valdez
    ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY Neil Corbould, Hal Hickel, Mohen Leo, John Knoll, Nigel Sumner

    BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION
    THE ALAN DIMENSION Jac Clinch, Jonathan Harbottle, Millie Marsh
    A LOVE STORY Khaled Gad, Anushka Kishani Naanayakkara, Elena Ruscombe-King
    TOUGH Jennifer Zheng

    BRITISH SHORT FILM
    CONSUMED Richard John Seymour
    HOME Shpat Deda, Afolabi Kuti, Daniel Mulloy, Scott O’Donnell
    MOUTH OF HELL Bart Gavigan, Samir Mehanovic, Ailie Smith, Michael Wilson
    THE PARTY Farah Abushwesha, Emmet Fleming, Andrea Harkin, Conor MacNeill
    STANDBY Jack Hannon, Charlotte Regan

    EE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)
    ANYA TAYLOR-JOY
    LAIA COSTA
    LUCAS HEDGES
    RUTH NEGGA
    TOM HOLLAND

    [via: BAFTA]

  • J.K. Rowling Reveals Christmas Gift to Wizard-Lovers on Her New Website

    BRITAIN-ENTERTAINMENT-FILM-CINEMA-FANTASTIC BEASTSDid you think J.K. Rowling forgot to get you something this Christmas? Our wizard queen would never do that. However, the “Harry Potter” and “Fantastic Beasts” author didn’t quite get you something original, she just announced her new and improved website — JKRowling.com — and welcomed fans to it with a fresh list of FAQ answers.

    Here’s part of her “Welcome to My New Website” post (which includes the promise of a future “debunking function”):

    “2016 has been one of the busiest professional years of my life. I didn’t plan for the stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and the movie Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them to come out in the same year, but that’s what ended up happening, with the result that 2016 meant an almost total re-immersion in the wizarding world. I’ve been absolutely delighted with the reception of both pieces: the stakes are always very high when you return to a well-loved creation, and after almost a decade of refusing to do spin-offs or remakes, I feel overwhelming relief that both long-time fans and newcomers have enjoyed what we’ve done. Pottermore.com, the digital hub for the wizarding world, does a great job catering for anyone who wants to dig deeper into that world. […]

    With four more Beasts movies to come, I decided my Christmas gift to wizard-lovers should be to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about the plot of the new franchise. There’s also a bonus FAQ, an oldie about Chamber of Secrets that I’ve been asked at least once a week for nine years.”

    So that’s the gift — answers. Here are some of the FAQ, including SPOILERS FROM “FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM.”

    Why couldn’t Newt just Apparate to the USA? Why did he go by boat?
    Apparition becomes increasingly risky over long distances. As with most magic, much depends on the skill of the spell-caster: Apparition requires knowledge of the terrain to which one is moving, or the ability to visualise it clearly. Cross-continental Apparition would almost certainly result in severe injury or death. Moreover, the beasts in Newt’s case had varying magical natures. Some could have Apparated with him, but others could not.

    Why couldn’t Newt use ‘Accio’ to retrieve all his beasts?
    ‘Accio’ only works on inanimate objects. While people or creatures may be indirectly moved by ‘Accio-ing’ objects that they are wearing or holding, this carries all kinds of risks because of the likelihood of injury to the person or beast attached to an object travelling at close to the speed of light.

    Why isn’t Veritaserum used in interrogations?
    It is, but skilled wizards can avoid its effects by using antidotes and charms. A gifted Occlumens could also resist Veritaserum.

    Why didn’t Harry Potter develop an Obscurus?
    An Obscurus is developed under very specific conditions: trauma associated with the use of magic, internalized hatred of one’s own magic and a conscious attempt to suppress it. The Dursleys were too frightened of magic ever to acknowledge its existence to Harry. While Vernon and Petunia had a confused hope that if they were nasty enough to Harry his strange abilities might somehow evaporate, they never taught him to be ashamed or afraid of magic. Even when he was scolded for ‘making things happen’, he didn’t make any attempt to suppress his true nature, nor did he ever imagine that he had the power to do so.

    Why wasn’t the Horcrux inside Harry destroyed when he was bitten by the Basilisk in “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”?
    A Horcrux can only be destroyed if its container is damaged beyond repair. Harry was healed by Fawkes. Had he died, the Horcrux would indeed have been destroyed.

    Rowling is also still answering more questions on Twitter, correcting misunderstandings, etc. That is her daily gift to fans:

    Perhaps our gift back to her should be a break from the constant stream of questions!

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  • ‘Fantastic Beasts’ Scores Magical $8.75 Million at Thursday Box Office

    “Harry Potter” prequel “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” is off to a magical start at the box office, conjuring $8.75 million in Thursday preview receipts.

    That number puts the flick, a spinoff set decades before the events of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” on track to land at the higher end of estimates for its opening weekend tally, with some prognosticators now predicting that it will earn north of $80 million by the end of Sunday. Studio Warner Bros. is keeping its projections conservative for now, putting the flick on pace to pull in about $70 million.

    As industry analysts previously noted, “Beasts” isn’t a “Potter” flick, and that unknowable quality makes it hard to judge how the film will perform. It’s unlikely to reach the soaring box office heights of the “Potter” franchise (for comparison, the last film in the series, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” earned $43.5 million in Thursday previews in 2011, ahead of a $169 million opening weekend), but its association with the successful series — not to mention its pedigree, with “Potter” author J.K. Rowling penning the screenplay — certainly doesn’t hurt audience curiosity, either.

    Moviegoers should get used to finding “Fantastic Beasts” on the big screen, since the franchise has now expanded from a three-film series to a five-film series. Whether or not those plans will change, however, no doubt hinges on the first flick’s success this weekend, and in the weeks to come.

    [via: TheWrap]