Leaky’s “Fantastic Beasts” Set Report: The Fantastic Beasts

Among the push pin boards in Drawing Board room, dozens and dozens of pictures were devoted to concept art of the magical creatures and fantastic beasts we may see in the Fantastic Beasts film, as well as future films.

The beasts and creatures were absolutely fantastic. No pun intended. Being the title purpose for the films, these images of fantastic beasts were truly the most amazing images in the room. The fantastic beasts were sorted into categories: “Hero Creatures,” “Creatures,” and “Goblins and Elves.”

Most of the “Hero Creatures” were absolutely adorable. (No one said you couldn’t be cute and fierce at the same time!) Here is a closer look at some of the “Hero” fantastic beasts:

• –The “Niffler” was a pocket-sized cross between a mole and an anteater. Its elongated snot is used for sniffing out treasure, and pocketing coins in its little kangaroo pouch on its stomach. (Since confirmed by the release of the second theatric trailer for the film.)

• –The “Demiguise” looked like a longhaired white monkey.

• –A “Bowtruckle” (named Picket, pictured below) appeared to be a cross between a walking stick insect and a praying mantis.

• –An “Erumpent” is a weird, hairless rhino with a very large horn that can be very dangerous (as Lovegoods warned in Harry Potter).

• –A creature named “Swooping Evil” is a vibrant green and blue bat with a skull-like head; it was incredibly terrifying (categorized as a “hero” creature, why?). (Since confirmed by the release of the second theatric trailer for the film.)

• –The “Murtlap” creature looked like a coral sea anemone mixed with hairless hamster, it was actually quite cute. (Even though it attacks Jacob.)

• –The “Occamy” is a large bird-snake that has the head of a peacock, with shiny cool-color scales, on an elongated reptile body. The “Occamy” is featured in the Fantastic Beasts logo, and takes refuge in the subway (and is perhaps apart of the final battle).

• –There was a “Bits and Pieces” creature that looked like a lizard literally made up of buttons, wire, scrap, and bits and pieces of junk.

Many of these creatures have already been discussed in previous articles and interviews conducted by Pottermore and EW. Here is a chance to revisit what these creatures look like!

The Swooping Evil:

The Swooping Evil is not in the Fantastic Beasts book…and there hasn’t been much info released about it, though it has been featured in both movie trailers thus far.

The Niffler:

J.K. Rowling wrote in the Fantastic Beasts book that these British beasts were classified XXX. Pottermore described these creatures, saying, “Nifflers are known for their penchant for seeking out shiny things, and as we see in the trailer, this one has hit the jackpot. You may remember that the financially-challenged Ron Weasley was particularly taken with the cheeky little critters, and now we see one on film, we wish deeply that we could have one too.”

The Billywig:

In the Fantastic Beasts book, J.K. Rowling/Newt Scamander give the Billywig a XXX rating. It’s an insect native to Australia, and so fast it goes unnoticed by wizarding and non-magical folk until they’re stung. When stung, victims experience “giddiness followed by levitation.” Too many stings can cause uncontrollable hovering for days, and if allergic the floating can be permanent. Dried Billywig wings are an ingredient in the popular candy Fizzing Whizbees.

The Billywig’s sting packs a powerful punch for Muggles, No-Majs and wizards alike: https://t.co/sFgyXr1ISl pic.twitter.com/Uaa7F32Nbx

— Pottermore (@pottermore) July 23, 2016

The Occamy: Pottermore has a feature on this creature from the Fantastic Beasts book. This creature from India and the Far East is described as, “plumed, two-legged winged creature with a serpentine body” that can “grow to vast lengths” and “produces silver eggs.” There are a few dangers, such as, it can “carry off rats, birds and monkeys,” and is “aggressive to all who approach it, especially defensive of its eggs.”

The Occamy hatches eggs of the purest silver: https://t.co/QkWrfsCmwl #FantasticBeasts pic.twitter.com/eayC1yNGIR — Pottermore (@pottermore) July 23, 2016

The Demiguise:

Pottermore pulled the description of this creature from the Far East from the Fantastic Beasts book, and described it as “Covered in silky, silvery hair, the Demiguise is ape-like in appearance with black, doleful eyes” with the magical ability to “turn invisible when threatened, and its pelt can be spun into Invisibility Cloaks.”

The Demiguise’s silvery hair is valued for its ability to be spun into Invisibility Cloaks. https://t.co/ApxkdBSqQQ pic.twitter.com/FqgwKyQhsc

— Pottermore (@pottermore) July 23, 2016

  The Bowtruckle:

In one of the trailers, we see Picket the Bowtruckle give Newt Scamander a raspberry when he asks for a smile. Bowtruckles are XX classified in Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts encyclopedia. These wood-land creatures are supposedly hard to spot because they are made of bark and twigs–Picket seems to be more of a leafy green sapling, might explain childish behavior. These insect eaters are supposedly shy and peaceable, though Picket gives Newt some attitude. Just don’t threaten the tree a Bowtruckle might live in, they may gauge your eyes out with their long sharp twig-fingers.

There were few creatures pinned under the “Creatures” category.

• –The “Swooper” was a cute, pink teardrop shaped owl, with large eyes and a small beak. It looked as if it would fit well into the Pygmy Puff family.

 

• –A “Mooncalf” was a creature that looked to be a cross between your average animated bookworm (with large eyes) and a chicken on four legs. It was hard to judge the size of the creature, but it looked as if it was a darling creature with its bookworm head, chicken feathered body and four legs.

 

• –“Nundu” are a type of lion. Pictures showed both male and female “Nundu,” that look pretty similar to the average male and female lion, except, instead of fur they are covered in grey spikes.

Goblins and Elves looked very, very familiar—incredibly reminiscent of the Harry Potter films. There was one goblin that looked roughly like Griphook, and a house elf that looked strikingly similar to Creature.

There simply wasn’t enough time to absorb all the pictures hung around the room. When one is on a set tour, one abides by the schedules of those who are busy making the next series of Wizarding World franchise films. Before my eyes were finished feasting on the wonders these pictures held, David Heyman was walking in the room, and demanded all of my attention.

Since our visit, EW released information about some of the Beasts we can expect to meet in the film. These include a Niffler, Ashwinder, Lethifold, Augurey, Bowtruckle, Crup and Merepeople. Descriptions of all of these creatures can be found in book, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The Lethifold, classified as XXXXX for being a black cloak that suffocates its victims in their sleep and leaves no trace after digesting them in their beds, sounds by far the scariest…and perhaps we see it chasing the Demiguise in this movie still:

Lethifolds become bigger after recently eating prey. Can a Lethifold become so big as to rip through the city of New York?

More on the Beasts can be read here. As Newt reminds us in the second trailer, the most dangerous creatures are humans. To see some of these Fantastic Beasts in action, watch the Fantastic Beast trailers below!

A new hero for a new era of the Wizarding World. Meet Newt Scamander. #FantasticBeastshttps://t.co/Yi5Ko4VPiy — Fantastic Beasts (@FantasticBeasts) June 23, 2016