Have Further Secrets from the Second “Fantastic Beasts” Been Revealed?

A few days ago, Pottermore gave us a plethora of information about the upcoming sequel to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.  As such, there’s been a lot of speculation about what is coming – including a lot of talk about the wizarding circus that was mentioned in the new information.

Pottermore gave us very little besides the tantalizing hint that such a thing exists and the names of some of the actors that will be involved in it. However, it has been discovered that MinaLima, the graphic designers for the films, have a print for the “Circus Arcanus” for sale in its online shop. Some have speculated that this might be the circus we’ll see in the sequel and that it was cut from the first film.

From investigating the print, however, there is conflicting evidence on whether the “Circus Arcanus” is or is not the wizarding circus.

For one, the print includes nothing that suggests this circus is inherently magical. It features mostly “human oddities,” including a hypnotist, a “snake girl,” and a two-headed baby. These were common cruel occurrences for circuses in the early 20th century. There is the chance that these could be explained by magic. But that would make this just a circus run by wizards, not necessarily a wizarding circus directed at a wizarding public and therefore directly mention magic or magical creatures on the poster.

Second, the dates on the poster are for late November through early December, which is about the time the first Fantastic Beasts film takes place. Pottermore told us that this second film will pick up in 1927, months after the first film concluded. The circus poster does say that the circus is headed to Europe, which increases the chances that Newt could run into it since we know he went back to London after the first film. Additionally, this second film will take place in London, Paris, and New York – so “Circus Arcanus” could be featured in the European locations.

Third, and perhaps the most convincing evidence that this is not the wizarding circus, is where the print is located on MinaLima’s site. This “Circus Arcanus” print is listed under “No-Maj Street Adverts” in the Limited Edition Prints section of the site. All of the prints located in the “Wizarding Magazines” section are distinctly wizarding – they mention witches, magic, and more that are clearly associated with the wizarding world we know.

It seems we’ll only know for sure if this is the wizarding circus on November 16, 2018, when the sequel to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is released! But for now, let the speculation and discussion begin.