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References to the Harry Potter films

  • While the film uses the canon of the main Potterverse, the art style and sound design are based on the film adaptations.
  • The announcement trailer begins with Newt casting Lumos maxima.
  • The film's logo is stylistically based on both the American books' logo and the films' logo, with the first S in Beasts elongated into an occamy's tail much like how the P in Potter was turned into a lightning bolt. To compliment the comparison, in the first teaser trailer, the dragon-like S slithers into the logo to complete the theme, similar to how the lightning-like P was always accompanied by thunder and lightning in the distance.
  • The first teaser trailer uses a rearrangement of "Hedwig's Theme", while the "A New Hero" featurette uses the first version of the theme from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
    • In the film proper, "Hedwig's Theme" is sampled at the start of this film's main theme and for the end credits.
  • The film's title cards (Warner Bros. logo followed by film logo over clouds) are identical to all the Potter films.
  • Crossing over with Development Gaginvoked, David Yates recently confirmed that one Deleted Scene involves Tina and Queenie singing the Ilvermorny school song. This isn't the first time that a school song has been left on the cutting room floor of a Potterverse film.

References to the Harry Potter books and broader canon

  • Newt's Back Story involves being expelled from Hogwarts after a life-threatening incident involving a magical creature, despite the objections of Albus Dumbledore, much like a young Rubeus Hagrid would be nearly two decades later. It also turns out someone else was responsible for unleashing the beast, much like with Tom Riddle; unlike in that case, however, it's implied that Newt took the fall for Leta Lestrange for reasons that are currently ambiguous.
  • Several limitations on magical powers are in keeping with the books and Pottermore's canon:
    • Newt travels from Britain to America by ship, seemingly forgoing Apparition, which is in keeping with a line from Quidditch Through the Ages about how only extremely powerful wizards have the capacity to Apparate across continents.
    • Newt's beasts must be tracked down manually instead of Summoned since, as per Wonderbook: Book of Spells, living creatures are immune to Summoning Charms (except Flobberworms).
      • At first, Newt appears to break the rules about Summoning creatures when he uses a Summon on the Niffler in the Diamond District, but if you look at the slow-motion shot, he's actually casting the spell on the necklace the Niffler is wearing, which is dragging him through the air.
  • Salem, of course, has a long history of supposed witchcraft, and the lone glimpse of American life we got in the Potter books was the Salem Witches' Institute. It's only fitting that the main Anti-Magical Faction is the New Salem Philanthropic Society.
  • During the film's Spinning Paper opening, an American wizarding editorial column asks whether soccer is the No-Maj version of Quidditch.
  • Mary Lou and Newt use cryptic Quidditch metaphors during their first confrontation on the steps of Steen National Bank.
  • Graves gives Credence a necklace bearing the sign of the Deathly Hallows, foreshadowing Graves's true identity as Gellert Grindelwald. Graves even tells Credence he can press the necklace to summon Graves at any time, just like a Dark Mark tattoo, or, more closely, the coins Hermione made to rally Dumbledore's Army, based on the same concept.
    • Similarly, Grindelwald avoids detection by posing as an Auror, just like Barty Crouch Jr. did in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
    • Graves convinced Credence to help him in an extremely seductive tone and by exploiting his emotional vulnerability. Grindelwald recruited Dumbledore the same way.
  • A subtle one regarding the Deathly Hallows: a recurring visual motif in the film is a vertically-bisected triangle, which is two-thirds of the sign of the Deathly Hallows representing the Invisibility Cloak and the Elder Wand. Two plot points of the film involve an invisible animal running loose and the discovery of a wand in possession of someone who shouldn't have one.
  • A large plot point involves a vision of immense power or danger related to a troubled child.
  • The zoo's baboon stealing Newt's wand is similar to the quote "I am a wizard, not a baboon brandishing a stick".
  • The description of the Obscurial and how the characters deal with them fit Ariana Dumbledore's situation almost to the letter. While Word of God has not yet confirmed anything, it's generally accepted that she was an Obscurial and her death was what sparked Grindelwald's interest in Obscurials in the first place. This may also fit in with the beginning of Harry Potter's story, as the campaign to get him to Hogwarts becomes more desperate, while his magical powers are manifesting in more alarming ways. Perhaps the Hogwarts staff feared that Harry was a potential Obscurial due to being raised in a magic-hating household, and that his magical expression was headed in a very dangerous direction. (Officially, no Obscurial has ever lived past the age of ten, but if Ariana was an Obscurial and died at fourteen then Dumbledore for one knew first-hand it was still possible!)
  • The first time Tina and Newt talk face to face, Newt points out to her that she has something on her face, like Hermione did to Ron the first time they met on the Hogwarts Express.
  • In a purely meta sense, the name of the main magical threat in the film seems to have been taken from the book's wizarding publisher, Obscurus Books.
  • Harry’s grandfather, Fleamont, is mentioned in a newspaper. The story is about how his hair-taming potion, Sleakeazy’s, is “wooing American witches”.

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