The following article originally appeared in Juniata High School's newspaper The Arrowhead.

Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, the first of a series of five movies, was released on November 18th and stars Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander. Set in the 1920s, the movie follows Mr. Scamander as he brings his case of magical beasts into the United States, where several of them escape.

When you think of Fantastic Beasts, you probably draw an instant connection to Harry Potter, and you’re partially right. However, the great thing about this movie is that you don’t need to know anything about the original Harry Potter series to enjoy it. Since it takes place about 70 years before we’re introduced to Harry Potter, there are barely any connections to the J.K.Rowling world that most people are familiar with. On the other hand, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them does have many similarities to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. There is a main villain, Grindelwald, who is a known threat to the American wizarding world. He has a strong resemblance to a later, even larger threat, in J.K. Rowling’s timeline- Voldemort. Also, while not the center of the story as Harry Potter was, there is an orphan who at first has nothing to do with Newt Scamander; that is, until he accidentally sets out on a path to destroy New York City.

Whether you’re a fan of the original Harry Potter series or not, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a great movie with many underlying issues, and tying them together makes for an incredible storyline.

By: Haylee Yocum