Fantastic Beasts' New Documentary Will Make Harry Potter Better

Fantastic Beasts: A Natural History will make the Harry Potter universe better as it connects the Wizarding World's fantastic beasts to the real world. Produced by BBC Studios Natural History Unit and Warner Bros., the documentary will see Stephen Fry (who once skilfully narrated the Harry Potter books) travel the world in a quest to uncover the stories and legends behind the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts magical creatures. Fantastic Beasts: A Natural History will also feature an exclusive interview with J.K. Rowling and visual effects supervisor Christian Manz, who brought a myriad of creatures to life in the Harry Potter movies.

actor Stephen Fry exploring both majestic animals and art that inspired Rowling to create some of the most iconic magical creatures in the Wizarding World.

Fantastic Beasts: A Natural History is bound to improve the Harry Potter universe as the Wizarding World was always conceived as a part of our planet, with wizards living alongside Muggles (though unbeknownst to them). Linking the fantastic beasts to real world animals thus solidifies Rowling's original vision for the Harry Potter/Fantastic Beasts universe. The BBC One documentary also comes in handy at a time of increased criticism towards the Fantastic Beasts franchise. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald scored an all-time low on Rotten Tomatoes (compared to the other Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movies). With the third Fantastic Beasts installment underway, many are eagerly waiting (albeit with a critical eye) to see which direction the story goes, and Stephen Fry's documentary might just improve the film's reception.

Fantastic Beasts: A Natural History unicorns

The five-movie Fantastic Beasts series took J.K. Rowling's love for magical creatures one step further, exploring their world through Newt Scamander's Magizoologist eyes. Both Fantastic Beasts movies introduced new magical creatures (from the Niffler to the Zouwu), but The Crimes of Grindelwald shifted the attention from Newt (and his fantastic beasts) to Albus Dumbledore's (Jude Law) complicated history with Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp/Mads Mikkelsen). While it seemed like Newt is becoming a side character in his own story, Fantastic Beasts 3 promises to keep the fantastic beasts at the forefront of the story (in spite of its Dumbledore-centered title) through its trailer and, especially, through Fantastic Beasts: A Natural History.

Fantastic Beasts: A Natural History can be a delight for many Harry Potter fans as well as anyone who appreciates legends and mythical creatures. Stephen Fry addresses the viewers in the documentary's trailer: "If we keep our eyes and our minds open, who knows what might be out there?" Once again, this creates a strong link to Rowling's Wizarding World, which, if seen with an open mind, is hopeful and deeply inspiring.

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Fantastic Beasts: A Natural History will air on BBC One at 7pm on Sunday 27 February.