After a lengthy pause between Harry Potter books, J.K. Rowling published “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”. A book that delved back into her magical world by following a name that would be familiar to some of the die hard fans out there who consumed and dissected every word she wrote. Maybe I’m part of that group. Possibly. Probably….. Shut up.
Newt Scamander is mentioned as the author of “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” in the original “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” He never makes an appearance in the books or movies in the physical sense, but he was a former Hogwarts student, many years before Harry and his gang joined the roster. The book, published years after the final chapter in the Harry Potter series follows Newt on a trip to New York, marking the first time the Wizarding World touches the Americas.
With the excellent Eddie Redmayne as the lead this movie, written by J.K and helmed by director David Yates, this movie could be the stepping stone into another franchise of magic that should excite all fans of the previous books and movies.