Who doesn’t want to get their eyes on anything about JK Rowling’s Harry Potter “Wizarding World” universe? A book coming soon from Insight Editions is mixing interactive elements with behind-the-scenes content for the theatrical release of Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. In Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore Movie Magic (available for pre-order now here at Amazon), get ready to see how the moviemaking magic is done, complete with replica props and more. Take a look inside the book below.
Ten Hogwarts movies down, one to go. It’s been four years since we posted the trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwaldhere at borg. Now we’re only six weeks away from the final movie in the Fantastic Beasts trilogy, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. Will the eleventh movie in J.K. Rowling’s fantasy universe be the last? Six years ago Rowling mentioned she had thoughts on two more movies, but no action has been taken since as far as pre-production goes. So this could be the end.
Professor Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) knows dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) is moving to seize control of the wizarding world. Unable to stop him alone, he entrusts Magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) to lead an intrepid team where they encounter old and new beasts and clash with Grindelwald’s growing legion of followers. How long can Dumbledore remain on the sidelines?
Here’s the trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore:
Of all this year’s books we’ve read and reviewed at borg in 2018, more than 100 all told, we’re hard-pressed to find one that matches the beauty of design in The Archive of Magic – The Film Wizardry of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, a new elaborately designed and detailed look at the film, the story, and the production of the new fantasy film from the mind of J.K. Rowling. Not only is the photograph reproduction quality superb, every page incorporates the style of the film, created by the very designers who made the images for the film. That’s MinaLima–the dynamic art duo of Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima–who also designed props for the Harry Potter movies as well as a new series of classic book reprints (reviewed here previously at borg).
Writer/editor Signe Bergstrom provides several textual elements that make The Archive of Magic stand out. She presents the narrative of the story itself in a way that will help moviegoers understand the sequence of events in the densely packed film. She also incorporates in-world elements, like examining new characters and story elements, and she steps out of the fantasy and interviews the film’s creative staff, writers, and actors, to provide an in-depth guide through the production. Readers will find final as-filmed versions of costumes and set production, in contrast with The Art of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, which consists primarily of pre-production concept artwork (see our review here yesterday).
The Archive of Magic takes the paper ephemera book tie-in concept that has exploded in the past three years to another level. Included are several reproductions of paper props that were key to the story, not merely set dressing, but the book also includes tipped-in reproductions of set dressing, too, created by the artists who made the very props seen in the film–for any past Harry Potter universe film replica props like this would sell for at least $10-20 each. It begins with a deluxe hardcover, magnetic wraparound cover with gold embossed Art Nouveau designs. Included are Leta Lestrange’s note she finds in the Ministry Records Room, a 3D-lenticular photo identification card for Newt Scamander, a book mark incorporating Grindelwald’s logo on paper stock like that seen in the film, Credence Barebone’s dual-sided birth certificate, Queenie’s postcard from Tina, the Spellbound magazine that incorrectly reports on a Newt Scamander/Leta Lestrange engagement, Nicolas Flamel’s business card that Dumbledore gives to Newt, Butter Beer logo label stickers, six reproduced newspaper pages, and two folded, full-size circus posters.
Take a look at this book trailer produced by Harper Design, and sixteen interior pages from the book: Continue reading →
