First Movie Trailer Unleashed For ‘Harry Potter’ Spin-Off, ‘Fantastic Beasts’

For those unfamiliar with the Harry Potter universe (books and movies), the name Newt Scamander might sound like a rare type of salamander. But for those “in the know,” he’s the author of one of Harry Potter’s textbooks and now the star of the latest sure-to-be blockbuster from the mind of J.K. Rowling.

The highly anticipated Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them doesn’t hit theaters until November 2016, but Warner Brothers Studio has just released the film’s first trailer. While considered part of the Harry Potter universe, Fantastic Beasts takes place in 1926, years before the events in Rowling’s earlier novels. Plus,  it’s set in New York, not England.

The film focuses on wizard Newt Scamander and his visit to the Magical Congress of the United States of America, for a meeting with an important official. Along the way, a magical briefcase filled with dangerous beasts opens, unleashing them on the magical and non-magical world of New York City.

The trailer gives away very little, aside from a few plot points, including the escape of the fantastic beasts. It’s reminiscent of the Harry Potter movies’ vivid world and dark mood. Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne stars as Newt Scamander, with an impressive cast behind him, including Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton, Jon Voight, and Katherine Waterston.

Directed by David Yates, who also helmed several of the Harry Potter films, the film was written by author J.K. Rowling.

Fantastic Beasts is scheduled to be released on November 18, 2016 in 3D and IMAX formats.