Coming Soon To A Theater Near You: Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them

This is "Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them," a textbook that exists in the wizarding world of Harry Potter. It was released physically to our muggle world before all seven of J.K. Rowling's famous novels were even published. More importantly, it's been known that this is becoming a screenplay for a soon to be trilogy! 

The goddess herself Ms.Rowling is the obvious trusted screenwriter for this project. The story will take place 70 years before Harry receives his Hogwarts letter. However, it's salient to mention that this is not a prequel nor sequel to the Harry Potter franchise, it simply is inspired by and branches off of the world introduced by the wizarding world. We'll follow Newt Scamander, the author of this beast book, as he is among fellow witches and wizards in a New York City underground magic community. Supposedly, three films are to come from this, below is the teaser that's been released:

Apparently, it was Warner Bros who suggested the idea in the first place. For that, I couldn't thank them more. I crave the expansion of this fictional magical world. Personally, I'm excited for the time period these films will be taking place in. The protagonist, Newt, was theoretically born in 1897. I'm interested to see Rowling write for/around this period. Assumedly, it'll be wonderfully executed. But you never know, right? 

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

Another aspect my fingers are crossed for to be covered is Newts name appearing on the Mauraders Map in the 3rd film, Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban. (Anyone else notice that?) I can safely assume it has something to do with Hagrid and his hippogriff. Perhaps Dumbledore will make an appearance within the trilogy. Perhaps hints at familiar aspects of this world will pop up a number of times. I'm not sure what to expect, but riddle me stoked.

David Yates, a Potter alum, has confirmed to direct the first installment which is expected to be released November 18th,  2016. The rest will follow in 2018 and 2020. Buckle your seat belts folks, we're about to be hit with some history of this wizarding world that hasn't even been consumed by Hermione Granger herself. 

Game of Thrones: Season 2

Earlier on in the semester I wrote a post about the first season of Game of Thrones and the quality of its adaptation from the book. I mentioned how I really liked how closely it corresponded with the first book and wanted to give a perspective on the second season, now that they've started straying from the book a little bit more.

While I ususally get a little upset when a book adaptation strays too far from the story line of the book, there are parts of season two that leave the pages, mostly for the better. Most of these changes stem from further character and relationship development, two things that I am a sucker for.

One relationship in particular doesn't even exist in the book, but it's one of the more interesting ones that takes form in the series. The relationship forms between a man sworn to the Night's Watch, celibate protectors of the realm, and the wildling, Ygritte. Their bond has just begun to form, and it will be interesting to see now that each has paid their debts to one another.

Another relationship that forms is between Arya Stark, who disappeared from the castle she was held captive in and winds up a servant for Lord Tywin, the head of the family who is trying to find her. Tywin does not know who she truly is, and the bond formed between them is entertaining. In many ways they are very similar, both very smart, and Tywin likes her blunt attitude.

The television series, while leaving the plot of the book in many places, does an excellent job at telling the story. I find myself more interested to see where it strays and how my favorite characters fare because of the new circumstances they're faced with. It will be interesting to see how the series continues to develop and change when season three airs in the spring.

Perks of Being a Wallflower

Earlier in the year I wrote a post about Game of Thrones as a television series. In it, I mentioned my general dissatisfaction with books and their movie adaptations. After reading Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky this summer, I was excited for the movie, but I was also preparing myself for the inevitable letdown afterward. The movie has a few of my favorite actresses, from my guilty pleasure, Nina Dobrev, to in my opinion, one of the most underrated actresses in Hollywood right now, Mae Whitman. The movie also totes the name of Emma Watson.


The movie was released to select theaters, so I had to wait a while to get the chance to see it until I went to Boston for fall break. Within the first minutes of the film, all my fears had been wiped away.

The author of the book, Stephen Chbosky wrote the screenplay for the film, as well as directed it. This meant it was his vision through and through, something that is so rare in book to movie adaptations. If there was ever a doubt that someone could do all three, it was squashed. Chbosky wrote Perks of Being a Wallflower through the main character's letters to an anonomous person. I really liked that Chbosky kept that in the film with pieces of narration scattered throughout the moive. Narration in general is very hit or miss in movies, but in this case it worked seamlessly into the story, to the point where you forgot that it was even happening at some points. If you came out of reading the book, not quite knowing what to think or say, chances are it'll happen all over again...and if you are prone to being a bit of a sap, I'd recommend a box of tissues.

I loved that every ounce of the story was preserved, nothing was sacrificed for cinematic effect, and nothing was held back either. The heavy nature of the story was allowed to stay, and Charlie's blackouts were beautifully woven in. The film worked around a lot of the more gory scenes in the book by cutting out at just the right moment. You were never left wondering what just happened, but you also weren't overwhelmed with blood.

The acting was brilliant. Emma Watson's American accent left something to be desired, but you can tell she improved as filming for the movie occured, on account of her accent was better in some scenes than others. It was never bad, but if you were paying attention, it definitely wasn't perfect. Logan Lerman, who played Charlie, did a fantastic job at playing the quiet, thoughtful character. He did a great job at playing a thoroughly awkward character without being annoying about it or trying to hard. However, Ezra Miller who played Patrick was the standout performance. You believed every ounce of the character, and you couldn't help but love him. His chemistry with Watson was perfect for their brother/sister role, and watching him strut around as Dr. Frank 'N' Furter was just an added bonus.

While the movie itself is not the best movie I've ever seen, it's pretty close; it's definitely the best book adaptation I've ever seen. It does all the things a movie should make you do. It makes you think about things. It makes you appreciate what you have, while also making you feel just about every emotion you possibly could. I definitely recommend seeing it.