Since the announcement trailer and poster were released on December 15th, Fantastic Beasts-related news has been coming at the fandom about a mile a minute. With limited time in my schedule lately, it’s been difficult to even keep up with reading everything, much less share the things that I’ve read on my own website. At this point, now that I have time, there’s too much to share in one article, so I’ve decided to split it into two: the poster and trailers (this one) and the most recent news about the decision to publish the script.

Let’s start with the announcement trailer, released on December 15th:

Lumos Maxima… Lumos Maxima…

Where have we heard this spell before? It’s very clear that Warner Bros. wants fans to very clearly associate Fantastic Beasts with Harry Potter:

• Lumos Maxima is same spell that Harry casts repeatedly at the opening of Prisoner of Azkaban.
• The light (that looks like a Patronus) that leads into the classic WB symbol (that looks fresh and new, compared with the way we see it in Deathly Hallows).
• The hint of the classic “Hedwig’s Theme” that John Williams wrote for the first movie all the way back in 2001, which became synonymous with Harry Potter, Hogwarts, magic spells, potions, and everything else that we are looking forward to seeing in December.

Yesterday, a wizard entered New York with a case—a case full of magical creatures—and unfortunately, some have escaped.

What an intriguing concept. In the beginning, I had wondered how a 128-page Hogwarts textbook could spawn a film trilogy, but it’s very clear to us even from the first trailer, that it’s all about Newt finding, collecting, subsequently losing and (hopefully) recollecting the magical creatures that he would later write in his textbook. Magic in 1920’s New York is fascinating as it is, but a story without conflict is no story. Thankfully, that conflict is established for us right away in this trailer.

The poster and synopsis, also released on December 15th, shows us Newt Scamander within MACUSA (the Magical Congress of the United States of America):

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them opens in 1926 as Newt Scamander has just completed a global excursion to find and document an extraordinary array of magical creatures. Arriving in New York for a brief stopover, he might have come and gone without incident…were it not for a No-Maj (American for Muggle) named Jacob, a misplaced magical case, and the escape of some of Newt’s fantastic beasts, which could spell trouble for both the wizarding and No-Maj worlds.

Fast forward to April 10th, when the official teaser trailer was released:

You’re an interesting man, Mr. Scamander. Just like your suitcase, I think there’s much more to you than meets the eye. Kicked out of Hogwarts for endangering human life with a beast, yet one of your teachers argued strongly against your expulsion. I wonder what makes Albus Dumbledore so fond of you, Mr. Scamander?

This trailer definitely gives us a lot more to look at than the last: we actually get to see some magical creatures (including a niffler!), for one. Evidently, Newt’s suitcase is not particularly secure, as we can see a creature trying to escape even while he is standing in line at customs. However, that’s until he switches the suitcase into “Muggle Worthy” mode, which transforms the inside of the suitcase so that the customs officer can only see clothes (including an old-school Hufflepuff scarf!) and other normal articles. I wonder why Newt doesn’t simply keep the suitcase in “Muggle Worthy” mode all the time. It would certainly save him some trouble, as the creatures seem much more likely to escape when in regular “Wizard Mode”.

Speaking of the Hufflepuff scarf, while I’ve never been much of a cosplayer, after watching this trailer several times, I desperately want Newt’s entire wardrobe. Overall, the costumes look amazing. The sets likewise look incredible. And the music? The “Hedwig’s Theme” throwback is much more prominent in this trailer—very clearly played over the title card, as was always done with the Harry Potter trailers. After the title card? Is it just me, or do Newt and Jacob give you an intense “Sherlock and Watson” vibe? Because I definitely feel that. I’m glad there’s some humor in this movie too!

What are you most excited to see in this movie? Share in the comments!