The Beasts We Want to Find in “Fantastic Beasts”
Now that the plot synopsis of the Fantastic Beasts film has been released, we have become aware that the beasts in the film will not be limited to those that might dwell in the kind of climate New York has to offer. With Newt’s suitcase containing creatures from his travels, pretty much anything is fair game. So here’s a list of the creatures we (Creative Team’s Amy and Lizzie) hope to see running rampant on the streets of New York City.
1. Jarvey
A Jarvey is an overgrown ferret than can talk but usually only in short and rude phrases. We couldn’t help thinking of a young Draco Malfoy who spent a few moments as a ferret in Goblet of Fire. While we couldn’t hear anything Malfoy had to say in his state, our curiosity for a Jarvey in Fantastic Beasts is one that has captivated us. Imagine the hilarity of Newt having this overgrown ferret spewing profanities while exploring New York? It would be enough to drive any No-Maj crazy! If the film decides to take some kind of animal sidekick or enemy route, this could be a great beast to see!
2. Mooncalf
A shy creature that dances in the full moon and leaves geometric patterns in fields sounds like everything we would love to see. Are the Mooncalves to blame for alien crop circles that the No-Maj have been fearing across America? In addition, watching a Mooncalf dance is fascinating and profitable since the silver dung it produces makes plants grow fast and strong. It would be fun to see a Mooncalf in action while Newt handles any potential werewolf interactions!
3. Shrake
A Shrake is a fish covered in spines that rips fishing nets and is rumored to have been created by wizards to get revenge on No-Maj fishermen. This could lead to some really cool scenes in the New York harbor, including underwater shots from the Shrake’s point of view as it slashes fishing nets to free imprisoned fish and other creatures. It would be neat to learn about another underwater creatures in Fantastic Beasts as we have the grindylows and merpeople in the original Potter series.
4. Diricawl
A bird that can vanish in a puff of feathers and reappear elsewhere. It was once known to Muggles (No-Maj) as the “dodo,” but due to the bird’s ability to disappear, Muggles now believe it to be extinct. The inclusion of this bird could be an interesting comparison between the wizarding and Muggle worlds. Muggle reactions to other magical creatures would be much different than their reactions to a bird that they know of but think to be extinct.
5. Dragon
We all know what a dragon is… We can’t help but feel like in a cinematic story about escaped magical beasts in New York City there needs to be an epic dragon in there somewhere. We don’t care what kind; just give the special effects department a dragon, for goodness’s sake!
6. Erumpent
A large, African beast that can be mistaken for a rhinoceros at a distance. The Erumpent’s horn can pierce through anything and with catastrophic results. Whatever the horn punctures will be injected with a deadly fluid that causes whatever is injected with it to explode. The reason for including an Erumpent in Fantastic Beasts would purely be to provide a satisfactory little nod to Xenophilius Lovegood (remember his Erumpent horn in Deathly Hallows?) and to further solidify the connection between the Lovegood and Scamander families. It’s just something that would be such a fun little connection between the two different stories.
7. Kelpie
A British and Irish water demon that can change shape but most often appears as a horse. The kelpie lures riders onto its back, then dives down into the water, devouring its rider at the bottom of a river or a lake. Did those nice little horse and buggy sightseeing rides exist in NYC in the 1920s? Because how incredibly creepy (and awesome) would it be if a kelpie pulled a buggy full of Muggles into the pond in Central Park?
8. Niffler
Fluffy, black treasure hunters. Are we the only ones who have always wanted to see these little guys on the big screen? After reading that Care of Magical Creatures lesson in the Goblet of Fire, who wasn’t in complete agreement with Ron about wanting a Niffler as a pet. It was actually confirmed in Entertainment Weekly that Newt has a Niffler in the film, so this bit of our wishlist we be coming true!
For those who have read Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, fans know there are dozens more beasts included in the textbook completed by Scamander that we may see in the upcoming film. Which ones will get lost out and about in New York City? We will have to wait and see, but in the meantime, keep up to date on all Fantastic Beasts news here at MuggleNet.
