‘Never tickle a sleeping dragon’. Or let one loose in New York. Good advice really, and one that Eddie Redmayne’s clearly loveable Newt Scamander should follow. But if the teaser for Fantastic Beasts is indicative of its plot, that is precisely where things go wrong.
As far as announcement trailers go, this is probably the least revealing one we have seen in recent weeks. It’s really just a smidge but what a tantalising smidge it is. Focusing just as much on the anticipation of continuing the Harry Potter universe as much as anything else – including a cheeky invite from one J K Rowling – it amounts to very little.
A council of (supposedly) magical folk is informed by a worried witch that a case containing magical creatures has arrived in the USA in the care of a wizard (almost definitely Scamander) and some of said creatures have escaped. Cue single shot of a blown-up flat – sorry, apartment – and our beloved hero cautiously checking on his collection of fantastic beasts.
Apart from endearing viewers to Scamander in just a few seconds, courtesy of Redmayne’s naturally disarming floppishness, this first look gives away virtually no footage while effectively delivering the crux of the plot. Further trailers are bound to reveal more details, which is actually a shame – the announcement trailer has the right balance of enigma and information that should draw in the crowds. Then again, as any self-respecting Potterhead would tell you, we don’t need a trailer to go watch the film.
Return to the Wizarding World when Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them lands November 18th 2016
Ibtisam Ahmed
Image: ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’, Warner Bro. Studios
Click here for more Trailer Watch
Get in touch with us via Facebook and Twitter, or leave a comment below
