‘Fantastic Beasts’: Eddie Redmayne Hopes Hagrid Appears in a Sequel

The Fantastic Beasts films take place decades before Harry Potter was born, though star Eddie Redmayne hopes Hogwarts groundskeeper Hagrid could appear in a future film.

When asked which character he’d like to see appear in a sequel by CinemaBlend, Redmayne answered, “Hagrid. And I’m secretly hoping that at some wonderful point, maybe if I say it enough times to J.K. Rowling, like a little mini Hagrid might arrive.”

One might think that the decades between the events of the two series could prevent these encounters from happening, though the physiology of wizards and witches allows for a much longer lifespan, potentially opening the door for Hagrid to drop by the prequel franchise. And with three more films left in the series, the narrative’s timeline will get that much closer to when we met Hagrid in the first Harry Potter story.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them focused on all-new characters, though this year’s sequel, The Crimes of Grindelwald, brings iconic characters Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall into the fold. Making matters confusing is that this new film takes place in the ’20s, with Harry Potter lore having previously confirmed that McGonagall was born in 1935.

Author J.K. Rowling previously confirmed that the overall trajectory of the franchise is planned, though that isn’t to say there might be some contradictory details that emerge along the way.

“As with the Harry Potter books, it is all mapped out,” Rowling told Entertainment Weekly. “In fact, when we announced the five films, I talked about that. It’s always possible that some details will change along the way, but the arc of the story is there.

“It’s been an amazing opportunity to tell parts of the backstory that never made it into the original books. I’m thinking particularly of one character that I think fans will be surprised to meet in this movie.”

The new film “opens in 1927, a few months after Newt helped to unveil and capture the infamous Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald. However, as he promised he would, Grindelwald has made a dramatic escape and has been gathering more followers to his cause—elevating wizards above all non-magical beings. The only one who might be able to stop him is the wizard he once called his dearest friend, Albus Dumbledore. But Dumbledore will need help from the wizard who had thwarted Grindelwald once before, his former student Newt Scamander. The adventure reunites Newt with Tina, Queenie, and Jacob, but his mission will also test their loyalties as they face new perils in an increasingly dangerous and divided wizarding world.”

Fantastic Beasts 2: The Crimes of Grindelwald opens on November 16th.

Would you like to see Hagrid appear in an upcoming Fantastic Beasts film? Let us know in the comments below!

[H/T CinemaBlend]