AP Photo
AP Photo

Talking to the cast of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them



The eight Harry Potter movies made more money than all of the 24 official Bond films put together – so it is little surprise that despite running out of books to adapt, author J K Rowling and Warner Bros have come up with a way to extend and expand the cinematic world of wizards and magic.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is inspired by the fictional encyclopaedia of the same name, which is required reading for new students at Hogwarts. Written by the previously unseen character Newt Scamander, it was first mentioned in the first Harry Potter book, 1997's The Philosopher's Stone.

In 2001, to help raise money for British charity Comic Relief, Rowling wrote a real version of the textbook, listing some of the magical beasts that are part of Potter’s world.

The film adaptation – the first of five planned movies – takes place in New York in 1926, which was recreated at Leavesden Studios in North London, the same place where Harry Potter films were shot.

"It's really spectacular," Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything, The Danish Girl), who stars as Scamander, tells me when I visit the set.

“We were shooting a scene on the steps going up to the bank and they had bought all these cars from America, so when you looked out onto the street, it felt immersive.”

Wandering around the set it certainly feels like being magically transported back to prohibition-era New York, a time when the tallest building in Manhattan was the Woolworth Building. Steam bellowed out of manholes on the cobbled streets and the rundown tenement buildings looked like they were about to fall apart – the attention to detail is quite incredible.

Redmayne says he is fulfilling a dream by acting in a JK Rowling film – and making up for an earlier disappointment. The actor, who won an Oscar last year for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything, unsuccessfully auditioned for the role of Tom Riddle in the original franchise.

This time, director David Yates says: “Eddie was the only candidate for the role.”

Redmayne immediately fell in love with the character.

“One of the things that I love about Newt is that he’s more comfortable in the field,” he says. “He has a facility with animals that is pretty unique and one of his arcs in the film is to learn to be open enough and communicate with people.”

Scamander arrives at Ellis Island with a Tardis-like leather suitcase filled with magical beasts. When they escape, he enlists the help of Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston), an enforcement officer at the Magical Congress of the United States of America), her mind-reading sister, Queenie (Alison Sudol), and war veteran Jacob Kowalski (Dan Folger), to find the loveable magical creatures before they are obliterated by dark forces.

“What I love about this film is that it’s absolutely this quartet and J K Rowling has written such defined and wonderful characters, who compliment each other in such wonderful ways,” says Redmayne.

Sudol also loves the dynamics of the group.

“We are thrown together like an unlikely gang,” she says. “My sister brings Newt home – she is essentially a dreamer and loves an adventure and in comes Newt, who is clearly on the run. Then there is Jacob who is a no-maj.”

No-maj is the American equivalent of “muggle”, the word used in the Harry Potter books for a person with no magical abilities.

Folger says Jacob has other useful talents, demonstrating the importance of humans, even in a world of magic.

“He’s been in the First World War, so he’s got the mentality to be in these chaotic situations, and he’s very reliable and helpful.”

Waterston adds: “I loved the period and the music, and tuning into that stuff in the little bits of free time. My character is very serious but she has a wonderful spirit, so I’ve been doing the Charleston in my trailer, which makes the whole thing shake.”

This film has a darker, more adult tone than the Harry Potter films, as Rowling – who wrote the screenplay, her first – has built a world filled with love and hate.

“It’s got interesting themes,” says Yates. “What happens when someone is mistreated, abused, unheard, beaten, and what that creates in terms of dark energy. So the themes are rich and deep and quite European on one level, but the package in which it comes, it’s really fun and entertaining.”

Yates, who also directed the final four Potter films, clearly has an affinity with Rowling and is full of praise for the Scottish author’s storytelling skills. “She’s the Dickens of our time,” he says. “She has extraordinary character.”

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species

Camelpox

Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.

Falconpox

Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.

Houbarapox

Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding

Guns N’ Roses’s last gig before Abu Dhabi was in Hong Kong on November 21. We were there – and here’s what they played, and in what order. You were warned.

  • It’s So Easy
  • Mr Brownstone
  • Chinese Democracy
  • Welcome to the Jungle
  • Double Talkin’ Jive
  • Better
  • Estranged
  • Live and Let Die (Wings cover)
  • Slither (Velvet Revolver cover)
  • Rocket Queen
  • You Could Be Mine
  • Shadow of Your Love
  • Attitude (Misfits cover)
  • Civil War
  • Coma
  • Love Theme from The Godfather (movie cover)
  • Sweet Child O’ Mine
  • Wichita Lineman (Jimmy Webb cover)
  • Wish You Were Here (instrumental Pink Floyd cover)
  • November Rain
  • Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden cover)
  • Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan cover)
  • Nightrain

Encore:

  • Patience
  • Don’t Cry
  • The Seeker (The Who cover)
  • Paradise City
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Overview

Cricket World Cup League Two: Nepal, Oman, United States tri-series, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu

Fixtures
Wednesday February 5, Oman v Nepal
Thursday, February 6, Oman v United States
Saturday, February 8, United States v Nepal
Sunday, February 9, Oman v Nepal
Tuesday, February 11, Oman v United States
Wednesday, February 12, United States v Nepal

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Tips for taking the metro

- set out well ahead of time

- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines

- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on

- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting 

2. Prayer 

3. Hajj 

4. Shahada 

5. Zakat 

The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
How to avoid crypto fraud
  • Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
  • Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
  • Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
  • Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
  • Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
  • Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
  • Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Game Changer

Director: Shankar 

Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram

Rating: 2/5

The%20specs
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The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

Coming soon

Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura

When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Akira Back Dubai

Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as,  “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal

The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems. 

Opening weekend Premier League fixtures

Weekend of August 10-13

Arsenal v Manchester City

Bournemouth v Cardiff City

Fulham v Crystal Palace

Huddersfield Town v Chelsea

Liverpool v West Ham United

Manchester United v Leicester City

Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur

Southampton v Burnley

Watford v Brighton & Hove Albion

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Everton

FIGHT CARD

Sara El Bakkali v Anisha Kadka (Lightweight, female)
Mohammed Adil Al Debi v Moaz Abdelgawad (Bantamweight)
Amir Boureslan v Mahmoud Zanouny (Welterweight)
Abrorbek Madaminbekov v Mohammed Al Katheeri (Featherweight)
Ibrahem Bilal v Emad Arafa (Super featherweight)
Ahmed Abdolaziz v Imad Essassi (Middleweight)
Milena Martinou v Ilham Bourakkadi (Bantamweight, female)
Noureddine El Agouti v Mohamed Mardi (Welterweight)
Nabil Ouach v Ymad Atrous (Middleweight)
Nouredin Samir v Zainalabid Dadachev (Lightweight)
Marlon Ribeiro v Mehdi Oubahammou (Welterweight)
Brad Stanton v Mohamed El Boukhari (Super welterweight

Paris Can Wait
Dir: Eleanor Coppola
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Diane Lane, Arnaud Viard
Two stars