There are few franchises quite as popular as Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling's magical novels swept the world when they were originally released, as did the massive eight movie film franchise. The Wizarding World has only continued to grow in the following years, including a Broadway play, a theme park, and the Fantastic Beasts franchise. The original movie did very well when it hit theaters in 2016, and a highly anticipated sequel is just weeks away. The final trailer recently arrived, revealing that Voldemort's murderous snake Nagini will be featured-- and as a human. Nagini is called a Maledictus, which seems awfully close to the werewolves like fan favorite Remus Lupin. But Rowling recently clarified the distinction on Twitter, saying:
They're different conditions. Maledictuses are always women, whereas werewolves can be either sex. The Maledictus carries a blood curse from birth, which is passed down from mother to daughter.
Now this is interesting. While both shape shifting forms of magic, the type of curse that Nagini has is quite different than the virus that affects werewolves like Remus Lupin. This will likely be expand throughout the course of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, although Potterheads are notoriously curious about the inner workings of the Wizarding World. It's clear that the stakes are even higher for Nagini than Remus, who only occasionally lost control of the beast inside him.
JK Rowling's Tweet was due to a Harry Potter fan inquiring about the official canon,and the mythology between Nagini and Remus Lupin's respective conditions. Nagini seems to have contracted her blood curse through her mother, and is slowly turning more and more into a snake. The curse is taking over the new character, and Harry Potter fans all know how it ultimately works out for her. But it'll be fascinating to see how she transforms from tortured young witch to a murderous snake and Voldermort's horocrux.
Nagini's inclusion in The Crimes of Grindelwald came as a total surprise to the fandom, as she makes a brief scene in the film's final trailer. She'll be appearing alongside Ezra Miller's Credence Barebone in the The Circus Arcanus-- entertaining muggles with their magical abilities. This seems like a great character pairing, as they both have a dark power inside them they can't control. This also makes them vulnerable to powerful villains, who might tempt them with new power. Jonny Depp's Grindelwald is looking to recruit more Wizards to his cause, and Nagini will eventually fall into the dark wizard crowd, if she's willing to become a horocrux who is happy to kill any wizards to piss off her dark master. Poor Snape.
All will be revealed when Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald arrives in theaters on November 16th, 2018. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
