A lot of hard, No-Maj work went into making the magical world of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them." J.K. Rowling's universe was transported to 1926 New York, and the filmmakers had to make period-accurate sets and make sure even the smallest of details was consistent with the rest of the "Harry Potter" franchise .
F antastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was once a slim little book, a for-charity effort pretending to be a Hogwarts textbook.
Film Still Handout from FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM. Pictured: Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander.
THERE is a great irony about this big screen return to the wizarding world of JK Rowling. Whereas, over eight Harry Potter films, a tale focused on children became dark, dramatic and lost all sense of fun, here's a story involving adults that has sweetness and zest and really does feel like magic.
J.K. Rowling, embarking on her new, post-Potter blockbuster franchise with "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," has said herself that her screenplay, which she began several years ago, was informed by world events - particularly, she noted, a rise in populism around the globe. And so there's definitely some darkness in "Fantastic Beasts," despite its being a family film, complete with the sweetest little beasts imaginable - expect to see your kid melt forthwith over the lovable jewelry-imbibing Niffler But there's also a refreshingly light tone competing with the sinister themes, thanks especially to two exceedingly appealing supporting characters headed for a sweet confection of a romance.
She did it with the Harry Potter series, but the movies based on the bestselling book series could never quite soar on their own.
J.K. Rowling always said that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows would be the last book in the Harry Potter series, but if 2016 taught us anything, it's that Rowling is more invested in the wizarding world than ever. In the years since The Deathly Hallows 's release on July 21, 2007, Harry Potter has become Rowling's Room of Requirement: Sometimes it's there, and sometimes it's not, but when it does appear, it becomes whatever she needs it to be.