As we await April and the release of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, we’ve already been closely analyzing the previews and posters as they come along, dissecting the carefully arranged images and making predictions that may turn out to be dead accurate, wildly off base, or somewhere in between. Last week, we were treated to a series of eighteen character posters, and they are likely already going up across the country in theaters eager to welcome back live audiences after nearly two years of viewers relying more on streaming than on the cineplex.
While there will be plenty of folks eager to blow some money, gobble some popcorn, and just enjoy the promised CGI-fest, maybe even in IMAX, there may also be more to the film than just another money-spinning blockbuster; there is certainly more to these posters than just glossy headshots of attractive people with sparkly sticks. We could be dazzled and distracted by the pretty faces or snazzy costumes, but there are a few interesting themes that are noticeable, including the use of lights and light sources, a strange flower motif, and some very well positioned backgrounds.
Of course, we also need to talk about the Auror in the room, or rather, the Auror who isn’t in the room. Join me after the jump as we take a peek at each poster we have (and speculate on the one we don’t have) to make some of those predictions!
The Wizarding World website presents the posters in a specific order, so that is how we’ll tackle them, looking at some of the interesting possibilities with each.
Albus Dumbledore
Of course, first up is our titular Headmaster, the dapper Dumbledore. While it is easy to just see the charming Jude Law, who manages to make a receding hairline quite attractive, it is what is behind him (and many of the other characters) that is worth noting. After all, years of reading Rowling’s work should have taught us to notice what is going on the background, for what seems unimportant now becomes critical later. Unsurprisingly, he stands in front of Hogwarts, the school where he will teach for the rest of his life, mentoring generations of witches and wizards while achieving his most important life goal, getting his own Chocolate Frog card. Ironically, the tower behind him, over his left shoulder, appears to be the “lightning-struck” Astronomy one from which he will fall after being struck down by a troubled, brooding man with long dark hair (not Credence Barebone). While it would be easy to look at all the spell sparks and light trails as ink-blots, revealing character truth, Dumbledore’s wand aura does, unsurprisingly, have a fairly distinct phoenix shape, casting a great deal of light on his face, if not on our predictions for the film.
Newt Scamander
Everyone’s favorite magizoologist (really, how many do you know?), as delightfully rumpled as ever, clutches his trusty case, which we expect will have much to hide and much to reveal in the film. From the trailers, it looks like we’ll be playing some case shell games, with the members of Dumbledore’s team each taking one, and there is the possibility that they are decoys for the real case. Newt’s backdrop is very interesting, as it is a forest boasting beautiful wild scenery completely different from everyone else’s location. All the other characters are either indoors or in front of buildings, but Newt, who fears a desk job above all other horrors, at least has a comfortable venue in this adventure, the wilds he loves. Indeed, he only seems to go indoors to write his books, and, thanks to his case and his wonderful in-home wildlife preserve, he can be outside even when he is inside. The scenery here looks rather magical, so it could even be inside the case’s wildlife habitat.
Niffler Teddy
The Beasts are in the titles of these films, so they deserve posters, too, and the niffler is about the most charismatic creature in Wizardom.
(We do have some serious concerns about the manticores, but they were hardly going to win that prize even before the movie people got involved.) Before now, the niffler has not had a surprisingly pedestrian name like most of Newt’s charges (Frank the Thunderbird. I rest my case). Teddy is a great name, as the niffler is eminently cuddly, like a teddy bear (one of my children has a plush one). Also, many of us suspect that disguise may be a motif in this film (see the last entry below), so the connection with Metamorphmagus Teddy Lupin, son of two different kinds of shapeshifters decades later, may be a hat tip in that direction. The Niffler is small, so the oil lamp (a light source, if unlit) beside and the books behind loom large, but it is the book upon which Teddy reclines that is really interesting. Its title is just visible on the spine and cover: Atlas of Celestial Anomalies. Although our boy Harry never seemed to really excel in his astronomy lessons, that Astronomy Tower does matter, as the site of Dumbledore’s death in the future, and as the location of a seemingly unimportant moment just before then when Draco (named for a constellation) Malfoy disarms his headmaster and unknowingly paves the way for the Elder Wand to change hands and make Harry the possessor of all three Deathly Hallows. Standby for more possibilities for that book cover.
Pickett
With the distinction of being the smallest member of the cast, bowtruckle Pickett also has the distinction of appearing on two posters, as he is also visible in Newt’s pocket, clutching Newt’s wand. Pickett has proven to be a useful member of the menagerie before now, so perhaps his dual posters suggest he will have even more to do in this installment or something else (more later). Of course, he’s also cute and a big crowd-pleaser (again, note the lack of a manticore poster). I’m sure someone, somewhere is trying to engineer a Pickett and Groot vehicle purely for marketing purposes. In his stand-alone poster, Pickett appears to be in an office, atop some sort of Wizarding office equipment. The peculiar keys and a cord that does not appear to be a Muggle item of the period may indicate that Pickett is in a magical office. While the device may be a typewriter or adding machine, I am partial to the possibility of a cash register, simply because of the pun we would have with Pickett’s Charge (technically, that event at Gettysburg was the Pickett-Pettigrew-Trimble charge, but neither General Pettigrew nor General Trimble has gotten the press afforded to General Pickett, and they don’t have bowtruckles named for them, more’s the pity).
Jacob Kowalski
We’ve had plenty of great speculation about Jacob’s role this time, from why he uses a wand to the possibility that he might be the Master of the Elder Wand, so it will be fascinating to see what happens with the loveable Muggle. Unsurprisingly, he is positioned in front of what appears to be his bakery, although much more visible than the bakery’s window is that of the shop above, declaring that the shopkeepers are “Specialists in Apparel,” perhaps more disguise hints or a reference to fashionable Queenie, Jacob’s beloved. It’s a very Muggle backdrop, appropriate for the character, but my favorite part is the illuminated light fixture right over his head, mirroring the illuminated wand in his hand. Of course, we have plenty of questions about his magical abilities, but that light fixture is delightful, as it may symbolize that Jacob continues to be a light shining in the darkness, as he has been so far. And it also looks like a lightbulb right over his head, perhaps because he will experience an epiphany (or two): he realizes he’s a wizard? He discovers he is the master of super-powered wand? He realizes what Queenie is really doing? He invents Twinkies? All are possible lightbulb moments for our ray of sunshine American no-maj who may be pretty magical after all.
Theseus Scamander
Newt’s brother, as comfortable in his suit and office as Newt is in the woods and swamps, is pictured in what may be the same office where Pickett appears. The florescent lighting is an interesting touch, and it may indicate either that he is in a Muggle office here, or that some magical offices use fluorescents, rather than lamps and candles, but it also marks his Muggle sympathies. The antithesis of Newt, Theseus is a real indoor guy, and nothing says indoor like a florescent tube. Another interesting touch is his visible watch chain, supporting the theory that he is on borrowed time and may not survive this installment.
Lally Hicks
Professor Hicks is dressed for a party, and a party is going on behind her. Her glittery dress has both a magical air and a 1920s style. She stands in front of a fancy party, with guests in tuxes and evening dresses. In the trailer clips, she has been dressed very practically, so this look is different. The big chandelier over her head is another of the noticeable light sources in the posters, but very different from the others, a reminder that American Lally is probably very different from the European Magical community, so it will be interesting to see how her character develops in the film.
Bunty
Newt’s trusted assistant is pictured indoors (someone has to take care of indoor responsibilities like collecting the post), but the large windows behind her let in plenty of natural light. She could be at Hogwarts, in a house, or in another building. Like Lally’s chandelier, Theseus’s florescent and Jacob’s lamp, Bunty’s window casts light on the character and serves as a reminder than she is on the side of light, part of Dumbledore’s team to stop Grindelwald’s genocide.
Aberforth Dumbledore
Although the signage is blurry, Aberforth is also positioned in front of a shop sign, perhaps a wizarding one somewhere like Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade, but it could also be a pub, foreshadowing his later role as the keeper of a shabby joint with valuable secrets. There is also another man in a hat behind him, making him the only character who appears to be in a crowd scene. I particularly like how the railing above his head looks like a farm fence, perhaps an allusion to the goat situation. In any case, it’s nice to see he cleans up well, with his jaunty hat and Gryffindor-color scheme tie.
Yusuf Kama
Like Aberforth, Yusuf could be outdoors in the Wizarding world or the Muggle world somewhere, with that stone wall behind him. Wherever he is, it is winter, as there is snow on the windowsill above his head. He could be outside Hogwarts. There appears to be a light behind him, a torch in a sconce, but it is blurry. Does this indicate some sort of loyalty ambiguity? Or, because it is a fire, not just a source of illumination, does that separate him from the members of Team Dumbledore who are all pictured with Muggle-friendly light fixtures or natural sources of light? His collar is frayed and his silk tie is torn, so whatever Yusuf is up to, it is wreaking havoc on his wardrobe.
Gellert Grindelwald
The first aspect we might notice here is that green light, an indication that whatever is coming from Grindelwald’s (elder) wand, it isn’t pumpkin juice. But what is behind him is again as interesting as what is in front. Our antagonist also poses in front of a wall, but the bricks are different from those behind Yusuf, so he is somewhere different, probably his fortress, Nurmengard. Interestingly, there appears to be a tapestry hanging behind him, but the top of the tapestry, against that stonework, gives a sort of optical illusion that he is standing in front of a portcullis, a gate ready to shut him away for his crimes. That would be appropriate, since we all know that whatever else happens in these movies, this crafty villain ends up imprisoned in Nurmengard, until Voldemort kills him many years later. Now though, he is at the peak of his power, and even his fashion choices are revealing. His tie is the only one on any of the men that has a distinct image. Newt, of course, wears a bow tie, unlike all the other gentlemen, but their ties just have abstract designs. Grindelwald’s has flowers. Initially, I was a bit disappointed, as I was hoping they were stars, like Dumbledore’s robes later and a connection to that Astronomy book, but the flowers are important. They are silver, on a black field, so, with that green spell, we have strong Slytherin tones, but I think there is more to the floral pattern, as we shall see.
Credence/Aurelius
Troubled Credence Barebone, who may or may not be a Dumbledore, is certainly an important element. While he may also be in Nurmengard, where we saw him last, he is not in front of the same wall behind Grindelwald. He is in front of a large number of candles, perhaps not so wise with his hair getting as long as Snape’s (though apparently kept cleaner). There are two large, three-tiered candleholders behind him, which could possibly be chandeliers, candle stands, or even mounted to the wall. His position makes it hard to tell, but I think they are on stands. Since we know the phoenix themes will be important at some point, all that fire is a powerful reminder of what phoenixes do. In addition, candles connect to church traditions and serve as a reminder of the damage done to young Credence by his misguided “mother” and her religious fanaticism. As a victim of bad religion, it seems Credence has just flown to a different cult. It is also interesting to note that here is another member of Team Grindelwald who is in front of a form of light used in the Wizarding world, while Team Dumbledore members are in natural light or with fixtures used in the Muggle world, denoting their sympathy to non-magical people.
Queenie Goldstein
Many of the characters are holding wands in these posters, but Queenie’s pose is a very interesting one. Her golden-lit wandtip is over her shoulder, its light cascading behind her back. Perhaps this indicates that she is still on Team Dumbledore, but that she is a spy or biding her time. The “secret” light over her shoulder also mirrors the theme of secrets that is more than just a word in the title. As we all hold out hope that Queenie will return to the light, there is one candle lit behind her, like the light over Jacob’s head, so perhaps she will come back to the light and to him in this installment. It is a candle, so like Credence and Yusuf, she is associated with light from fire, but all three of these characters have the potential to play for the side of good. She also stands in front of a window, and though it is not the same as the one behind Bunty, it does let in natural light that reminds us of Queenie’s innate goodness but also of her struggle between the opposing forces in this story.
Vinda Rosier
Like Queenie, Vinda appears to be inside Nurmegard, in a library. Far behind her is a large window, perhaps indicating that she has either come a long way from the light or has a long way to go to return to it. Although there are candleholders and a huge candle chandelier behind her, they are all unlit, perhaps showing both her allegiance to a Wizard-run world via Grindelwald’s plan and her lack of “illumination.” Her wand is right in front of a large library globe, alluding to Grindelwald’s plans for world domination (Hitler had one like that, which has its own mystery) This also appears to be the same library where Teddy the niffler is pictured. Vinda’s sparkly earrings may not be a great fashion choice with a niffler in the room, but they also look floral, mirroring Grindelwald’s tie, and, aside from the wandlight, her color scheme is similar to his as well.
Helmut
This fellow has no last name, no wand, and no distinguishing features. He also has a strange expression that makes us wonder about his loyalties and narrative purpose. His German name may be a cover, just like an actual helmet, so stay tuned. There are no light sources of any kind behind him, indicating mystery or even a sort of neutrality compared the others. He appears to be outdoors, on the same street where we see Aberforth, so perhaps, like Dumbledore’s brother, there is more to Helmut than meets the eye. The poster doesn’t tell us much about him, so we’ll have to wait and see!
Liu Tao
Although this character is not carrying a wand, he does give off a distinct wizard ambience, particularly in the design of his snazzy and exotic suit. The animal skin on his right shoulder may indicate he is not allied with Newt. Knowing how Newt feels about his beasts, we can infer what he would think of this style. The skin could easily be from some magical beast, as it looks very unfamiliar. In fact, the gold fringe along his left shoulder could be part of the animal as well, maybe its tail or spine ridge if it is a dragon. The design at the top of his right arm could be a claw of the animal, but it could also be a flower, indicating allegiance to Grindelwald, based on that tie. However, there are some real mysteries to Liu Tao. While he appears to be on the same street as Helmut and possibly Aberforth, there is a closed window behind him that, like his crossed arms, creates an image of secrecy, of being cut off from others. The unlit overhead light may also place him in Grindelwald’s camp, but we may just have to wait for more on him as well.
Anton Vogel
Like Vinda Rosier, Vogel appears in the (Nurmengard?) library, standing in front of books, unlit candles, and a globe. Unlike Vinda, he does not have a nice window view, so perhaps he is even less “illuminated” than she. All those candles are a tip that he is a wizard, even without a wand, and probably a dark one, since they are unlit. The only light on him comes from elsewhere, perhaps indicating that, as I suspect, all these posters might fit together or into one larger image, revealing connections and missing bits later on. His collar may be velvet, but it may also be fur, another strike for anyone if Newt is keeping score.
Vicencia Santos
Our last poster is devoted to a completely new character, Vicencia Santos, whose name, strangely enough, could translate as “Saint Vice.” But then again, from the trailer, she appears to be running for office, and if some politicians had a patron saint made especially for them, “Saint Vice” might be a contender. More importantly, the name Vicencia comes from a Brazilian town, a town named for its first owner, Vicencia Barbosa de Melo. Back when it was a sugar plantation in 1850, she apparently built a chapel devoted to Saint Anne (a saint Rowling may well know, with her mother being named Anne). There is a park in the town with a bust of the original Vicencia, who wears a turban that is not that different from the distinct hairdo
sported by actress Maria Fernanda Cândido. Our Fantastic Beasts Vicencia poses in an office that may be the same one where we have Theseus and Pickett, which means she is also in front of Muggle-esque lighting that might indicate she has more virtue than vice. She is also not holding a wand.
Very interestingly, the town of Vicencia, in 2013, witnessed a “celestial anomaly”—a meteorite fell, quite close to a local citizen, who was unharmed, fortunately. The Vicencia meteorite is small (about 1.5 kg/3.5 lbs) but rather rare. With Teddy’s book and Vicencia’s name, what stellar themes might emerge? Will the centaurs, self-proclaimed beasts, make a showing to comment on astrological events? Only time will tell.
The Lady Vanishes
Where is Tina? Seems to be the big question after all the PR so far. The future Mrs. Scamander is listed as the first character in the cast list on IMDB, but she’s nowhere to be seen in the posters and trailers. Unlike other actors who have gotten in trouble and are “hidden” in
promotional materials to avoid embarrassing the production company, Katherine Waterson hasn’t run afoul of the law (her father, Sam Waterson, would be horrified if she did, after putting away all those folks on Law and Order). While she has opposed Rowling’s positions, so have others in the franchise, and she hasn’t made an ugly public spectacle, plus she is not on the cover of scandal sheets, so the reason for hiding her is most likely (let’s hope) part of the story.
Theories abound, from Polyjuice to demiguises being used to conceal Tina, either within the persona of another or in plain sight. There are certainly some characters who could be Tina in disguise, a la Graves in the first film. My galleons are on Helmut, whose poster, as mentioned, gives away so little, but that may not even be the trick, as the films have done that before.
Could Tina also be an metamorphmagus, disguising herself without Polyjuice? With her talented Leglimens sister, it would make sense that the whole family was gifted. Or might she be an animagus, able to change into a specific animal? Considering the fact that she ends up married to a wizard who really loves creatures, it does not seem like a stretch that Tina might be in touch with her animal side. Could she be hiding as a fantastic beast? If so, which one?
Here is a wild conjecture: Could Tina be hiding as a bowtruckle? That would explain the two images of Pickett, if the one in Newt’s pocket (close to his heart and holding his wand?) is really Tina in disguise, not Pickett. I love the comic possibilities of 5’11″ Tina becoming a pocket-size creature, but since the two bowtruckles look the same, that is probably a bizarre guess; then again, we’ve made those before. If she is an animagus, a salamander seems like a better bet, based on history. In any case, it will be interesting to see how our missing actress will finally appear in the film.
What are your thoughts on the posters? On my wild speculations? On our missing Auror? Share those with us as we await April 8!
Not only Tina is missing. Also Nagini. They have something in common: they are very concerned about Credence’s wellbeing. That makes them the right persons for a separate mission: discovering Credence’s real identity. By visiting the shipping company’s archive and looking at the list of names of the drowned passengers. The baby boy on that list is in reality Credence. Then finding his real brother or sister, for family reasons, but also, as Dd stated in FB2: “an Obscurus grows as a dark twin. If Credence has a real brother or sister out there who can take its place, he might yet be saved.” Going to an archive is off course not very spectacular. Not fit for a trailer. Frank is not a firebird ( you repeatedly call him that). He is a thunderbird. Looking up the thunderbird in the schoolbook suddenly gave me an idea about the possible nature of Jacob’s wand: “The firebird is so sensitive to supernatural danger that wands created with its feather have been known to fire curses pre-emptively”. The wand is Jacob’s key to enter Hogwarts, his disguise as if being a wizard, and his defensive weapon. I think.
…and off course Tina in the trailer finding out Credence’s real name would give away too much, since the last film ended with the statement that Credence is Aurelius DD.
Thanks, Jan! Since Claudia Kim, who played Nagini in The Crimes of Grindelwald, is not listed among the cast, it’s anyone’s guess what role, if any, the charming snake-lady will play this time around. We are expecting more films, so perhaps Kim, who hasn’t had a film out since Grindelwald, will be involved in the next one. Since she was in a Marvel movie, too, she knows how to keep a secret!
Waterston, however, is touted as part of the cast, and we know Tina will be part of Newt’s life in the future, so her absence is striking.
Thanks for the catch on Frank! The alliteration and the Freudian slip (there is so much fire!) combo make that an understandable issue, which I’ve corrected. I look forward to your insights once the film debuts!
Looking up the thunderbird in the schoolbook suddenly gave me an idea about the possible nature of Jacob’s wand: “The firebird is so sensitive to supernatural danger that wands created with its feather have been known to fire curses pre-emptively”. The wand is Jacob’s key to enter Hogwarts, his disguise as if being a wizard, and his defensive weapon. I think.
That is a great catch, Jan, and a wonderful idea! I guess the question has to be the meaning of the word “supernatural.” Frank the Thunderbird alerts Newt in Beasts1 to the danger of the Obscurus Unleashed and the MACUSA forces sent out to kill him, but what kind of danger in that is “supernatural” beyond “magical”? Is the use of the word here meant as a synonym for “magical”?
If so, its use in Jakob’s wand is a match; when things get out of control in Grindelwald’s castle or in the streets when Credence explodes, the Thunderbird wand core will somehow alert and protect him. I suspect, if this is the case, that the magic of the Thunderbird, tied as it seems with the allegorical meaning of the Phoenix, may be the agency for the unprecedented transformation Rowling promised the actor playing Jacob his character would undergo, my best guess being his becoming a wizard himself.
Anyway, again, great catch and theory! I’m much more excited about seeing this film than I have been with your idea in mind.
I forgot to say I find your best guess about why Tina is off-stage more than credible. Do you think she and Queenie are working in tandem, independently, or under the direction of Eulalie, the American Dumbledore?
Wow! What a post, Elizabeth! I don’t know where to begin…
The reading of these posters as a thematic symbol set, interpreting the light sources, muggle vs magical backdrops, indoors and outdoors, and even the flowers in Grindelwald’s tie as a pointer to Vinda and Liu Tao’s allegiance, is all brilliantly and thoroughly done.
I never would have thought of Tina doing a Polyjuice number to appear as Helmut the Henchman or Betty Bowtruckle but the ideas are just outlandish enough to be spot on. I enjoy Jan’s theory that Tina is doing her due diligent research about Credence, which both takes her off-stage with respect to the confrontation with Grindelwald and Company and requires invisibility with respect to previews. But the idea that she is hidden in plain sight, a salamander animagus in a Nurmengard fireplace, is at least as engaging a possibility.
One thing I don’t get — and forgive me if this is common knowledge among Beast Specialists (I really do not follow the hints and dropping of the franchise that closely, something of which I was reminded when I learned a month after the announcement that Ariana appears in ‘Secrets’) — is where Brazil fits in. I see Hogwarts, Nurmengard, and what seem to be European cities in the trailers (stone, gothic, etc.) but not Brazil. Have I just missed how a character like Vicenzia Santos fits in or scenes in the trailer? Enlighten me, please!
Anyway, again, what a great survey and exegesis of the movie posters, Elizabeth! My mind is spinning, and, against all my convictions about the medium, I’m finally almost excited about seeing this film, for which, ‘Thank you!’
Noticing Jacob and Vinda are the only two holding wands in their left hands, makes me realize how inattentive I am to whether there are or are not tendencies to a ‘wand hand’ or by contrast wand ambidexterity.
The library globe (or globes?) in Vinda and Anton’s posters do not seem clear enough to me to see whether they are terrestrial or celestial globes. (Or something more ominous? – the globe in the final story in M.R. James’s More Ghost Stories of an Antiquary, ‘Mr Humphreys and his Inheritance’, comes to mind… do we know if JKR is a James fan?) Possibly part of the ‘Celestial Anomalies’ theme?
What’s the weight of wordplay in Anton being named ‘Vogel’? And, might that be a Niffler-skin collar?
Lots of room for various wordplay in ‘Vicencia’ as feminine variant of ‘ Vincent’ and otherwise. What of any play with two ‘Vi-‘ named women?
Pickett: Is that a bit of (period) play with Don Marquis’ archy and mehitabel? (And, do we know if JKR is a fan?)
If that is indeed, as it seems, a fluorescent light behind Theseus, is this accidental or significant, deliberate anachronism (assuming it is a public, commercial lamp)? (Speaking of fluorescence, does the mantis shrimp contribute to the design – and conceptualization – of the ‘Sea-Manticore’? Speaking of Manticores, with historical descriptions having porcupine-like features, is it too obvious to wonder if Tina might be a Porpentine Animagus – or converted against her will into (the appearance of) a Sea-Manticore?)
Let me add one more question to DLD’s pile: might Tina be hiding beneath the veneer of the demure Bunty?
The trick in having Tina disguised may be that she is uniquely qualified to communicate with her congenitally-gifted Legilimens sister Queenie. We had hints in Beasts2 that Tina is a Legilimens as well (her conversation with Newt about salamander eyes). If the two can work a silent radio channel when in relative close proximity — and remember in Beasts1 MACUSA Death Pool scene that Queenie picked up her sister’s distress call at a significant distance — then they could easily get the drop on Grindelwald and his gang with a surprise attack or an out of the blue Joint-Apparation Operation in a jam.
Why would Tina have to be disguised? Because her presence in a room with Queenie would immediately create suspicion that the sisters would reconcile, start fighting, or make a scene of some kind. PJuice/Tina, though, in Bunty-Wrap? None of that — and the surprise of their remarkably coordinated movements to attack or escape would be crucial to their plans success.
Why is Eulalie Hicks here? As the orphan Goldstein Girls’ Ilvermorny mentor, perhaps even their mother-substitute, Lally probably suggested this plan to Dumbledore — and he insisted she be on hand to run the show. They won’t need that much Polyjuice Potion because the trip to Nurmengard via Portkey was not meant to last very long, if I understand correctly the “If we survive until tea time” comment DDore makes. Jacob is brought along — Newt sets up a Portkey Puzzle his No-Maj friend has to figure out, hence the “Brilliant man” line? — in case Queenie needs any more convincing to change sides.
Anyway, all that I hope is not about hijacking the thread here but to further the conversation about Tina’s mysterious absence. I really want to believe she is in the mix but just not visible. Bunty is the perfect hiding-person because Newt’s conversing with his assistant often and even with great familiarity or affection would not seem unusual. Then again, would Newt be made aware of this secret backstop plan? Aberforth had to learn somewhere not to trust his wily brother with all his withheld information. Secrets of Dumbledore, indeed.
Wow! I’m delighted my over-thinking of movie posters has led to such thoughtful discussion!
Vicencia seems to be running for some office (presumably in Brazil?) in some of the trailer shots, and some of the scenes of Newt outdoors could be in a rain forest, so there are a few Brazil possibilities, but I am often surprised at some of the places we go (or don’t!) in these films, so that will be interesting to see.
David, I’m not a name expert in English, let alone Portuguese, but I am not sure if Vicencia is a direct counterpart to Vincent. When I first began searching, I assumed
Vincencia was the feminine of Vincent, which would be wonderful, as St. Vincent is the patron of charitable causes, surely an apt choice for Rowling with all her good works. But the direct translation of the word “vicencia” gave me “vice,” and apparently the name, like many women’s names, means “beautiful lady,” so those possibilities provide some ambiguity. Vicencia is beautiful, and she may be a truly beautiful person who supports good causes, or she may have vices that turn her to the dark side. It does seem odd to have two “Vi” women, and I was wondering if one of them might later be the witch named “Vi” who drinks with the Fat Lady, but alas, her full name is Violet, so that is not a painting of one of these Vi ladies. I do see a theme, though!
I also wondered about Vogel’s collar. It does look like fur, and similar to niffler, so that means Newt will hate him. If he is wearing nifflers, even Cruella de Ville would vote to have him fed to the manticore, no matter what version appears!
Thank you both!
Fascinating – and (to my mind) plausible -Tina speculations!
Wow, indeed: I am not finding it easy to learn more about the name Vicencia, quickly! The Poruguese Wikipedia Lists of Saints and Beati (“Lista de santos” and “Lista de santos e beatos católicos”) have five Saints Vicente and two Beati Vicente respectively, but simply searching the Portuguese Wikipedia, I do not find many women named Vicencia – though two whom I encountered are: the poet, Maria Vicência Bressane Leite (1783-1868), and the daughter of Duke Jaime of Braganza, Vicência de Bragança (1532-1603), who became Abbess at the Monastery of the Five Wounds of Vila Viçosa and was known as “Madre Vicência do Espírito Santo” (to quote her Portuguese and her father’s English Wikipedia articles).
Elizabeth, I really enjoyed this – thanks! And I thought you might like to know that there is a much clearer view of that flowery tie, and some of the other costumes too, in this video just posted by WB:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkE8mkfb6h0