If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above.
You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed.
To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
J.K. Rowling discusses bringing Newt Scamander's story to life in 'Fantastic Beasts'
J.K. Rowling discussed her interest in bringing Newt Scamander's story to life in a set interview from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, as well as what the four leads of the series bring to the series, and returning to work with longtime Harry Potter producer David Heyman an director David Yates.
One thing of note: the author will be attending the world premiere of Fantastic Beasts this coming Thursday at New York City's Lincoln Center, so fans who are interested in queuing up to see her and the rest of the cast and crew, head there in the afternoon.
Quote:
On the development of Fantastic Beasts and Newt:
J.K. Rowling: It was a textbook that Harry Potter used at school. During the writing of that textbook, I became quite interested in the ostensible author, Newt Scamander. And of all the characters in Potter who were just a name, he was the one who took on quite a bit of life in my mind.
On Newt Scamander:
J.K. Rowling: Newt's been traveling the world studying magical creatures. His ambition is he wants to write the book. He wants to write Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. He wants people to understand how remarkable these creatures are. And he wants to educate the public and stop them killing them - a very laudable design, one would say. But Newt being Newt, he can't resist if he finds something that's injured or endangered, taking it with him. So over time, this case has become, effectively, a portable animal hospital/safari park for endangered species.
On the story's conflicts:
J.K. Rowling: If you haven't got tension, if you haven't got conflict, you haven't got a story. Newt's in an alien environment on so many levels. It's America and he's British. He doesn't really understand how the magical world works here, and he accidentally opens a case full of magical creatures in the middle of New York in arguably the most hostile place he could have done this. So he's blundered hugely. And, he's walked into a situation that he doesn't understand at all. Something that has implications for the whole wizarding world. Something he gets caught up in. So all of that is massive fun to write
On the quartet (Newt, Tina, Queenie, Jacob):
J.K Rowling: We start with four pretty ill assorted people with very different agendas. Newt simply wants to get his creatures back in that case and get out of there. Tina is involved in something bigger, but she's a demoted auror or she shouldn't really be messing around with these things, and yet is compelled to. Queenie is a sweetheart who, in many ways, is the glue of the group. She's a nice person. Then you've got Jacob who increasingly is fascinated by what's happening and wants to stick with them. But it is the friendship that develops between the four of them that is the most important thing in the movie.
On David Yates and David Heyman:
J.K. Rowling: I was thrilled David Yates wanted to do it. He's just the nicest man who ever walked the earth. He's great. He understands the world and the material so well. We've always got on so well and we work together, I think, really well. And David Heyman, you know, he was there right from the beginning. He was right from the beginning. We go back such a long way. I couldn't really imagine doing it without him.
More on-set interviews to come here soon, including all the actors (Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol, Dan Fogler, Colin Farrell, Ezra Miller, Carmen Ejogo, Ron Perlman, Jon Voight), producers David Heyman and Lionen Wigram, and director David Yates.