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“Fantastic Beasts” brings fans back to the wizarding world of Harry Potter

Muggles, get ready to reenter the wizarding world of Harry Potter in the franchise’s latest installment, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” The film is the first spin-off of the beloved Harry Potter series and is based off of a mock textbook written by J.K. Rowling to give readers a deeper look into Potter’s world.
Millions of anxiety-ridden Harry Potter enthusiasts await the film’s November arrival with sweaty palms and nervous, tapping toes.
“Fantastic Beasts” is the second boyfriend. You know the one. The one who flashes that CGI smile at you, reaches out his hand and promises he can be every ounce as good as your first. And yet, you still wonder, how could anything compare to a first love?
 
So, you watch the trailer.
 
The tinkling music swells; the Warner Bros. logo appears, and an unfamiliar voice gently coos about Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and Albus Dumbledore. A soft shot of the New York skyline fades in, and the narrator is making you question whether you trust this Newt Scamandar, played by Eddie Redmayne, even if Dumbledore defends him. But, of course, Scamandar is already winning you over with his quiet, English discourse and mysterious briefcase. The roaring ‘20s aesthetic of the whole thing is refreshing, and you might even find yourself forgetting, if just for a moment, about that first love.
You don’t forget for long, though. “Hedwig’s Theme” chimes in, and the homesickness begins. The action becomes faster, as the music darkens. A phoenix takes flight. Chairs and tables are flipped over. A mole clutching a red handbag is sliding across the floor? Colin Farrell warns that “no human could do what this beast is capable of.” The logo appears, and a soft echo of “Hedwig’s Theme” reminds you that this is still Potter’s world; we’re all just living in it.
“Fantastic Beasts” is the movie you didn’t ask for but Rowling set you up with anyway. The trailer is exciting and refreshing, and it makes your heart ache. Even though you know it could never truly be the same as the magic you felt with “Harry Potter,” maybe it doesn’t have to be. It could be a new sort of magic in the same vein of lively, colorful characters and mythical action sequences you know and love.
“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” will be in theaters Nov. 18.

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