Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2
The Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them franchise made headlines yesterday after releasing its newest trailer for the film, which will be coming to theatres in early November.
The trailer had many different shocking revelations, the most surprising to many fans, however, was that Nagini (Lord Voldemort's pet snake) was once a human woman who worked as a circus performer with a blood curse that allowed her to change into a snake at will but, eventually, would cause her to become a snake permanently.
Fans had less of a problem with this (although there was absolutely no mention or hint of it in any of the 7 books or 8 movies that were released), and more of a problem with the fact that a Korean actress was playing the role of Nagini. She is also one of two women of color in the main cast, shedding light on the small numbers of people of color represented in the Harry Potter series.
Claudia Kim, the actress who will be playing Nagini, expressed that she is excited for the role and the chance to explore the 'human side' of the character. JK Rowling also responded to fans on Twitter, expressing the cultural aspects behind the casting. Many fans, however, argue that this casting is racist and misogynistic- where the only representation an Asian woman gets is as a circus performer who eventually becomes the pet of one of the most feared dark wizards in the HP universe.
These criticisms are valid. The representation of oppressed identities in media is scarce as it is, and large franchises such as Harry Potter should be making a concerted effort to represent multiple identities with care and consideration to how that representation with affecting the minds of fans everywhere.
The trailer had many different shocking revelations, the most surprising to many fans, however, was that Nagini (Lord Voldemort's pet snake) was once a human woman who worked as a circus performer with a blood curse that allowed her to change into a snake at will but, eventually, would cause her to become a snake permanently.Fans had less of a problem with this (although there was absolutely no mention or hint of it in any of the 7 books or 8 movies that were released), and more of a problem with the fact that a Korean actress was playing the role of Nagini. She is also one of two women of color in the main cast, shedding light on the small numbers of people of color represented in the Harry Potter series.
Claudia Kim, the actress who will be playing Nagini, expressed that she is excited for the role and the chance to explore the 'human side' of the character. JK Rowling also responded to fans on Twitter, expressing the cultural aspects behind the casting. Many fans, however, argue that this casting is racist and misogynistic- where the only representation an Asian woman gets is as a circus performer who eventually becomes the pet of one of the most feared dark wizards in the HP universe.
These criticisms are valid. The representation of oppressed identities in media is scarce as it is, and large franchises such as Harry Potter should be making a concerted effort to represent multiple identities with care and consideration to how that representation with affecting the minds of fans everywhere.
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