Entertainment
A New 'Fantastic Beasts' Clip Makes You Love Newt
If Eddie Redmayne heading up the latest installment from the Wizarding World wasn't already enough to make you fall in love, then the latest interview-based Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them featurette will be what puts you over the edge. Yes, Harry Potter can never be replaced, but Newt Scamander is the latest hero on the scene and, as proven by the two-minute inside look, J.K. Rowling is pulling fans in to Newt's story with just as much passion as she did with Harry's story. Except this time, Newt comes along with her screenwriting debut — and one of the very textbooks from which Harry Potter's studies originated.
"My heroes are always people who feel themselves to set apart, stigmatized, or other-ed," Rowling shares at the start of the video. "That's at the heart of most of what I write and it's certainly at the heart of this movie." I'm totally getting choked up as I'm overwhelmed by all the feels this featurette is bringing. Not only is the all-too-familiar Harry Potter theme song playing in the background of the inside look, but Rowling's passion for Newt's character is readily apparent in the ways in which she — and all of her fans — can relate to his struggle of feeling like he doesn't belong. Brace yourself first, and watch the emotional and eye-opening introduction video.
So much more than what's being said is making me fall in love with the Wizarding World's historical hero. Unlike Harry Potter's peculiar background and lightning bolt scar, Newt is really just your average wizard who is fascinated by all of the creatures and magic around him. I'm pretty sure most fans of both the original Harry Potter novels and the films can relate to his level of normalcy and curiosity. Plus, for all of those animal lovers out there, Redmayne's description of his character really assists Rowling in putting his essence into full perspective: "Newt feels more at home with creatures than he does with human beings."
Whether you can relate to that love of animals and adventure or not, it's Newt's prerogative that sets him apart as well. While he's going on this journey through 1926 New York, Newt pulls forth questions about society's response to Muggles (or No-Majs), his placement within the Wizarding World as a whole, and the need to stand up for what's right. Basically, Newt is a hero both for a '20s-era New York and for the world facing similar problems of prejudice and evil that we live in today.
So, why cheer on Newt? He's the hero who is just like us, and his story is just beginning.
Images: WarnerBros.Pictures/YouTube