‘Fantastic Beasts’ First Look: See Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander

In the popular series of novels featuring boy wizard Harry Potter, conclusively vanquishing the main villain Voldemort is all but impossible. Just when it appears he’s been defeated once and for all, he manifests once again in another vessel, assuming another form. Much in the same way that Voldemort is simply too powerful to be fully laid to rest, simply biding his time before returning in a new shape, the larger Harry Potter franchise has returned with new ventures to continue generating revenue from the ubiquitous creative property.

A few weeks ago, J.K. Rowling announced her plans to stage a proper sequel to the final Harry Potter novel in the theatre, and now the lid has finally been lifted on the other expansion of the wizarding world. Those with the magic in them will be pleased to take their first look at Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them below.

Following the unveiling of the film’s logo design yesterday, Entertainment Weekly posted their regular This Week’s Cover feature to preview the hot lead story for this week’s issue. which just so happens to feature Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a long-planned prequel to the events of Harry Potter. The post explains that Eddie Redmayne graces the cover as Newt Scamander, a preeminent “magizoologist” (hello, new dream job) who travels to New York in 1926 to visit the pictured Magical Congress of the United States of America. The States’ response to the Ministry of Magic, the art deco-influenced building resides inside the Woolworth’s building. The EW post doesn’t offer much more, but does promise that all will be revealed when the issue hits newsstands later this week. Keep on keeping on, print media. You’ve got us right where you want us.