Spoilers ahead for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.
J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World is an ever expanding place, with the acclaimed writer working on a ton of projects at once. Aside from the theme parks and Broadway play, the most exciting addition to the property is the Fantastic Beasts franchise. Its first sequel, The Crimes of Grindelwald, just arrived in theaters, and brought quite a few connections to the Harry Potter movies.
One of the new heroes in Fantastic Beasts is Dan Fogler's Jacob Kowalski, a muggle who finds himself involved in the magical world. When we meet Jacob in Crimes of Grindelwald, he's under a love spell, courtesy of his love interest Queenie. It turns out that lots of funny bits were cut from that sequence, as Fogler tells it:
But there were certain moments that were inside that scene ... like there's extended versions of that scene when I'm like under her spell at the dinner table. There was a whole bit that I had where I was putting salt on the food, and then it's magic salt and the salt just keeps pouring, and then there's a pile of salt on my plate. Just all these crazy Chaplin-esque bits that I put together for that moment, that were just too much for the length of that scene.
I've got Wizarding FOMO. The Crimes of Grindelwald didn't have a ton of levity, but most of them came from both Newt's creatures, and Jacob's comic relief. And the scene where he's inebriated from a love spell is definitely a standout from the film's first act. It turns out we could have gotten more hilarious bits, but there just wasn't enough time for that particular scene.
Dan Fogler's comments might be disappointed for fans of Jacob's muggle moments in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, but they also reveal how methodically Warner Bros. and the crew approaches each blockbuster. Fogler only revealed more about the love spell when being asked about deleted scenes, of which he has none. It appears that the schedule was very specific, so most footage was safe from the cutting room floor.
It should be fascinating to see how Jacob continues being part of the Fantastic Beasts narrative. The Crimes of Grindelwald revealed that Dan Fogler's muggle character wasn't actually Obliviated during the first film's ending, and that he retained his memories of the Wizarding World. Jacob eventually got involved in the conflict with Grindelwald, while also suffering great personal loss with Queenie.
Queenie ultimately turned to the dark side in The Crimes of Grindelwald, leaving Jacob in the process. The dark wizard is now using her mind-reading abilities to manipulate Credence, and Jacob might be the only person who can snap her out of it.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your trips to the movies in the New Year.
