- Title: The cast of "Fantastic Beasts" attend the film's world premiere in New York
- Date: 11th November 2016
- Summary: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 10, 2016) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF LINCOLN CENTER
- Embargoed: 26th November 2016 03:26
- Keywords: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them world premiere red carpet J.K. Rowling Eddie Redmayne David Yates David Heyman Harry Potter
- Location: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES / UNKNOWN FILM LOCATIONS
- City: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES / UNKNOWN FILM LOCATIONS
- Country: USA
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Film
- Reuters ID: LVA00358019VX
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: As the official release of the "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" grows closer, the cast celebrated all their hard work at the film's world premiere in New York on Thursday (November 10).
After tons of promotion, the film's star, Eddie Redmayne, who plays magizoologist Newt Scamander, was excited for the night.
"Feels like, we've been sort of making this film for so long it's been in my imagination for so long that it's so wonderful to be here now and a lot of talk about it a little, a little."
The movie takes place 70 years before the events in the first Harry Potter books and features a new cast of characters with magical powers. Set in 1926, it centers on Newt Scamander, a "magizoologist" who arrives in New York with a case full of strange creatures that quickly escape.
The Warner Bros. film arrives nine years after the last of Rowling's seven Harry Potter books was published and five years after the last of the movies that made $7 billion at the global box office.
On the red carpet, author J.K. Rowling said she loves both Newt and Harry, but explains how they are very different.
"Harry was born to a certain destiny. Newt is a man who's going his own way and gets drawn into something. So in a sense, although Newt is very outsider he's also every man. Where does his allegiance lie? He's very much plowing his own furrow and the world goes in a certain direction and he's got to decide whether he's going to become active or not."
Producer David Heyman, who was involved with the Potter franchise, said the element of the unknown that comes along with the film makes the release feel different.
"Not everybody has read the book. So it's quite exciting to share a story that not everybody knows."
While the movie is filled with magic and wizardry, the actors talked about the message of acceptance the film carries.
"There are a few really beautiful and pertinent messages in the film, especially now, messages in the film. There is this fear of the other, this fear of what we don't understand, a need to blame and segregate. And how hate can grow into something that is just overpowering because of that," said Alison Sudol.
"It's a great time now to have, not just the comfort and the escapist wonder that she brings, but also some of the things she gives us to take back to our world to get to work on some of the stuff we've got to roll up our sleeves and get to work on," added Ezra Miller.
Although this film doesn't release until November 18, the author and director are already dropping hints about the second film in the five series franchise.
"It's not set wholly in Paris. The movie - you will see a small amount of New York again and London and Paris. A lot of Paris," said Rowling.
"It's very different to this one, quite dream like. It's very beautiful actually," said director David Yates. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
