The final trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald was released today, and besides getting seriously creeped out by Johnny Depp's Gellert Grindelwald and intrigued by Jude Law's Dumbledore, everyone was extremely shocked by the inclusion of Nagini. Voldemort's snake was no longer a reptile, but a whole woman.
Between all three elements, we are expecting some crazy stuff from the next installment in the series, and JK Rowling has added to the hype by answering fan questions on Twitter today following the trailer's release.
Here are four things the acclaimed author revealed about the upcoming film.
1. NAGINI IS A MALEDICTUS.
Upon first watch, the only thing we could figure to explain Nagini being a woman was that she had to be a horcrux. How else could a snake be a human? Well, Rowling explained she is actually a Maledictus, which is a female whose blood was cursed at birth, leading to her eventual transformation into a beast.
Not an Animagus. A Maledictus. Big difference. https://t.co/JwVVNnvVQU
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) September 25, 2018
2. A MALEDICTUS IS NOT DESTINED TO BE EVIL BEFORE THE CURSE.
Rowling went on to explain that just because a Maledictus has cursed blood at birth, they are not destined to be cursed beforehand. "The slow transformation into a beast is beyond their control, but they aren't destined to be evil," she shared.
Not at all. The slow transformation into a beast is beyond their control, but they aren't destined to be evil.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) September 25, 2018
3. THE NAGINI FAN THEORY IS INCORRECT.
For those of you who still think Nagini was the snake trapped in the zoo at the beginning of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Rowling is here to tell you no, that's not what happened! Calling it a "very persistent fan theory," the author explains it was never the same snake. That would be terribly sad.
Noooo... I thought I'd shot that one down! The escaped boa constrictor in Philosopher's Stone wasn't Nagini. It was never Nagini. That's an incorrect but very persistent fan theory! https://t.co/QEy89kwloA
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) September 25, 2018
4. DUMBLEDORE AND GRINDELWALD'S PAST WILL BE EXPLORED BOTH HERE AND IN FUTURE FILMS.
As for our two major characters, Rowling revealed the past and deep connection they share will be explored in the film, but even more so in the next installments.
Some in this movie, more in the rest. https://t.co/EtXX2V6CYv
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) September 25, 2018
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald hits theaters on November 16, 2018.