These 7 Magical Creatures May Star in 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'
After months of not knowing much (or really, anything) about "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," Entertainment Weekly busted open the floodgates this week with tons of scoop about the hotly-anticipated "Harry Potter" prequel. Now, the magazine has shared even more intel about the types of titular creatures audiences can expect to see onscreen.
"Fantastic Beasts" centers around magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), who travels the globe collecting and chronicling magical creatures for his textbook (which also shares its name with the flick). According to EW, the film is still in production and the list of beasts is still being finalized, but there are currently seven creatures that are considered likely to appear in the finished film.
They include beasts first mentioned in J.K. Rowling's "Potter" books, as well as those featured in her 2001 version of the "Fantastic Beasts" book -- but EW says that "there might even be a creature that even the most devoted Harry Potter fan has never heard of" that pops up in the production. We can't wait. Below, here's the breakdown of what creatures crowds can (probably) expect to see onscreen next November. (As with EW's list, we've added some more intel from the Harry Potter wiki for each entry.)
Niffler: A creature attracted to shiny objects, used by Goblins to find treasure; they're typically gentle beasts, but can cause trouble -- and some bites -- when on the lookout for valuables. Newt keeps one as a pseudo pet, and Redmayne told EW the creature was one of his favorites. "They have this wonderful love-hate relationship," Redmayne said of Newt and his Niffler. "He's incredibly aggravating and wonderful at same time. He's a complete nightmare, yet Newt gets off on his playfulness and single-mindedness."
Ashwinder: A serpent that forms from the ashes of a magical fire that's been left to burn too long. Their red-hot eggs can burn down houses -- and they answer to Parseltongue. Not a great combination.
Lethifold: Aggressive, violent, and deadly, it resembles a black, rippling cloth and glides along the ground. It targets its victims at night, suffocating them in their sleep; the only known defense is a Patronus (just like with Dementors).
Augurey: An Irish phoenix with green-black feathers whose cry signifies coming rain. (Though it was once suspected of also predicting imminent death.)
Bowtruckle: Introduced in "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," the hand-sized bowtruckle resembles sticks and bark, and lives in trees. It fiercely defends its residence, and its twig-like fingers have been known to scratch out a few eyes. According to EW, "This particular one lives in Newt's pocket."
Crup: A wizard-bred dog that resembles a Jack Russell Terrier, with one key difference: This pooch has a forked tail. It's fiercely loyal to its magical owners, but ferocious toward muggles (or no-majs, if you prefer).
Merpeople: Glimpsed in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" (above), Rowling's take on the sea creatures is a bit more violent that the singing specimens found in "The Little Mermaid." The ones Harry saw had gray skin, green hair, yellow eyes, and were crazy frightening. According to "HP" lore, though, there are many different varieties of these creatures, with wildly varying looks and personalities. The prettier, Ariel-like sirens live in warmer climates, while selkies dwell in the colder waters near Harry and his friends in the U.K. All mermaids appear to enjoy music, though, something these ones have in common with Disney's version.
"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" hits theaters on November 18, 2016.
[via: Entertainment Weekly]