After topping the Irish box office, as well as having the UK’s biggest opening weekend, and making $75 million globally, it’s clear that a lot of people went to revisit the wizarding world that the world’s most famous wizard, Harry Potter, inhabits (although he won’t be born for a few more years).
Set in 1920s New York, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them introduces new characters and a new storyline.
There was a wee bit of confusion and unanswered questions following the film (including the inevitable queries about plot holes), and J.K. Rowling herself, creator of the universe and screenplay writer for Fantastic Beasts, was kind enough to volunteer to answer some of them.
I'm being asked so many good questions about story & characters in #FantasticBeasts. If I can't answer, it's bc we have 4 movies to go!
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) November 21, 2016
@jk_rowling Loved the movie. Burning Q from my wife though: How come Newt travels by boat to cross the Atlantic instead of apparating?
— Pong Maniquiz (@pong0814) November 18, 2016
There's a limit to how far you can Apparate. Inter-continental Apparition is very dangerous! https://t.co/8eUjPmAOem
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) November 18, 2016
@jk_rowling Is there some sort of Magical Customs for wizards? Maybe not in the years of the Ellis Island ships, but how about now? :)
— Vick (@BabeDeJour) November 18, 2016
Newt went in through the No-Maj customs because wizards wouldn't have been so easy to fool. Transporting those creatures was illegal. https://t.co/EbomTsPo8K
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) November 18, 2016
@jk_rowling was that a Hufflepuff scarf Newt was wearing at the end?
— Winter misses D&P&BD (@WinterIsTrash) November 21, 2016
I can answer that one. Yes! https://t.co/R7eNoO3IWU
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) November 21, 2016
@jk_rowling Is Frank actually a Thunderbird and did he make it to Arizona ok?
— Amanda Tuchscherer (@inmy_tree) November 21, 2016
Yes and yes! https://t.co/SF7rxMd42f
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) November 21, 2016
@jk_rowling will Queenie the Queen come back in the second film?
— queenie maryam (@elliotfintry) November 21, 2016
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) November 21, 2016
She also addressed the reason for the franchise being extended into five films and revealed the time line that the film will be set in:
@jk_rowling can I ask why you decided to make 4 extra movies? Just curious if it was bc of story reasons or something else?
— Kurt (@KurtGaming1) November 21, 2016
Our story starts in 1926 and ends in 1945. It's just too big to fit in one movie! https://t.co/fb5GOGvTxq
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) November 21, 2016
.@lomadia We did say 3 before I did all the plotting, but then we decided that there's just too much story!
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) November 21, 2016
@jk_rowling There were obviously some major changes from the HP books to the films... Are we to take everything in these films as canonical?
— Joash Taylor (@JoashTaylor) November 21, 2016
Yes, because I'm writing them! https://t.co/KLfJj1Kylo
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) November 21, 2016
But sometimes she had to keep an air of mystery – can’t give everything away after all.
@jk_rowling Why was Newt allowed to keep his wand & do magic, and work for the ministry? Hagrid had a different experience after expulsion..
— Clara Simmons (@ClaraMarie88) November 21, 2016
All will become clear. Trust me. https://t.co/NwA12ZzgsA
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) November 21, 2016
Via Twitter