If you have not seen Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them yet, then turn away now! Not even the strongest Obliviate could wipe your mind of the following spoilers!
In Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, fans were introduced to a new era of magical history. Moviegoers watched as Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) became involved in a wizarding scandal that nearly cost him his life. The Hufflepuff and his friends were tasked with recollecting his escaped magical beasts and unwittingly confronted the dark wizard, Gellert Grindelwald. The film did plenty of world-building, but one pieces of construction from Fantastic Beasts as stood out to fans so far.
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And, now, fans have been told their interest will be rewarded in the Fantastic Beasts sequel.
In a recent interview with CinemaBlend, producer David Heyman took time to talk about the film’s overt reference to a woman named Leta Lestrange. Audiences were introduced to the character when one of Newt Scamander’s friends noticed he kept a framed picture of her. Fans learned Newt was good friends with Leta before they apparently drifted apart, but it doesn’t appear like Newt is over his former crush.
“Leta Lestrange comes into the second movie,” Heyman said, confirming fans’ suspicions about the lady. “She’s quite complicated and damaged and confused and Newt is absolutely still in love with her, so she has a kind of power over him, and she, yeah, she’s a kind of tragic figure, so we will see a bit more of her in the second movie.”
In Fantastic Beasts, fans saw that Leta was played by Zoe Kravitz – well, sort of. The actress was only shown in a photo, but it seems like Kravitz will play an increasingly important role in the franchise’s future.
If you are not familiar with the character, then don’t feel bad; Rowling only just introduced the witch in Fantastic Beasts. However, fans do know a bit about her because of her family name. Leta hails from the infamous Lestrange family, one of the most notoriously evil clans in all of Harry Potter. The Lestrange family is one of the sacred 28 pure-blood families in Britain, and they were famous supporters of Lord Voldemort.
Potterheads will recognize several Lestranges, but none is as famous as Bellatrix. The sadistic Death Eater was a major antagonist in Harry Potter and murdered her cousin Sirius Black, something which traumatized the boy wizard. The fanatic witch was enamored with the dark arts and even bore Lord Voldemort’s illegitimate child before he was destroyed.
Fans can expect to learn more about Leta and her complicated history with Newt as Fantastic Beasts moves forward. The first film has stressed the two bonded because they felt like outcasts, but something must have changed between them. More than likely, the falling out has to do with Newt’s expulsion from Hogwart. The wizard was accused of endangering a fellow student’s life with a magical creature, but it seems like Leta may have been behind the dangerous experiment – and Newt simply chose to take the blame.
After all, what else is a boy in love supposed to do when his crush gets in trouble?
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Knowing Leta’s family, it also seems likely that the Lestrange family is involved with Grindelwald’s growing revolution against Muggles and non-magic folk. Leta has probably been recruited, perhaps unwittingly, to his cause. In the coming films, fans will likely see Newt and Leta reconnect because of their involvement with the war and ultimately reconcile their failed relationship through tragic means.
Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them is in theaters now!
[H/T] CinemaBlend
