Since Entertainment Weekly released the first look at Eddie Redmayne as wizard/magizoologist Newt Scamander, details on J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter prequel film have been pouring in. Not only have we seen the first batch of photos of the Oscar winner on set, but we finally know what Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is about. Now, how would you like the meet the characters?

As part of EW’s Fantastic Beasts issue, the magazine revealed descriptions of the main cast of characters surrounding Newt. Who is a “No-Maj" (American for “Muggles” — and I’m still getting used to it) and who is part of the wizarding world? We finally have answers.


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Image via Warner Bros.

Newt Scamander, played by Eddie Redmayne:

An eccentric globe-hopping English "magizoologist" wizard who's far more comfortable around beasts and creatures than he is around other people. Comes to New York on a quest with his case full of magical habitats containing rare and endangered species.

In case you haven’t been checking Rowling’s Pottermore website, a magizoologist is pretty self-explanatory: someone who studies magical creatures.

Porpentina “Tina” Goldstein, played by Katherine Waterston:

An ambitious worker at the Magical Congress of the United States of America [aka MACUSA, the U.S. version of the Ministry of Magic] who meets Newt. Tina is relegated to an office well below her abilities after she stood up for the wrong person. She longs to fight for what's right.

Queenie Goldstein, played by Alison Sudol:


Tina's younger sister and roommate, a big-hearted free-spirit "legilimens" who can read minds.

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If you’ll recall, two of the most famous Legilimens in the magical world are Severus Snape and Voldemort. Snape tried to teach Harry Potter to strengthen his mental resolve in The Order of the Phoenix when “He Who Must Not Be Named” kept trying to (and succeeded in) distorting his mind.

Jacob Kowalski, played by Dan Fogler:

An optimistic No-Maj factory worker/aspiring baker who gets introduced to the wizarding world when he meets Newt.

As EW pointed out, Kowalski will be the franchise’s first Muggle main character.

Graves, played by Colin Farrell:

A powerful auror and the right-hand man of the American wizarding world's president.

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Another helpful insight for the uninitiated, auror is a fancy word for dark wizard hunter. Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody was a famous one, while Harry was studying to become one at Hogwarts.


Credence, played by Ezra Miller:

Perhaps the cast's most mysterious character. He's Mary Lou's troubled adopted son.

And who is Mary Lou, played by Samantha Morton?

The narrow-minded leader of the fanatical Second Salemers, a group looking to expose and destroy wizards and witches.

There are a lot of names, but knowing the fierce fandom surrounding this franchise, they’ll sooner than later become household names.  Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, written by Rowling and directed by David Yates, is scheduled to hit theaters on November 18, 2016.

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Image via Warner Bros.