SpeakBeasty: A Fantastic Beasts Podcast

• Episode 200 is a party AND NOTHING ELSE. 
• Thanks to this week's Patreon supporter, VlightPhase! We appreciate you sticking with us to the end. 
• Phoenix Register: Dawn French (The Fat Lady from the Harry Potter movies) had a real-life Erumpent mating dance moment! Listen to her interview on the Off-Menu Christmas special here.
• “It's giving, your skull is susceptible under force.”
• Wand interaction enhancements are under construction at Universal Orlando - including potential for dueling!
• The Forbidden Forest Experience is no longer opening in a wildlife sanctuary in Australia.
• Main Discussion: Grindelwald vs Voldemort: how do they compare?
• Which came first: Grindelwald or Durmstrang's association with the Dark Arts?
• Listeners, send your Grindelwald fanfic recs to Liz!
• Was Voldemort talking to snakes at random?
• Find out what phrase Liz uses regarding Dumbledore that you'll NEVER be able to unhear. 
• “You need to separate your youth you from your evil you.”
• How does one travel to Albania without a body?
• “I don't know. They weird.” - Liz
• Marjolaine also needs your epistolary Grindeldore fanfics, please. 
• Voldemort is a chaos goblin confirmed.
• Time-Turner: all the canon characters we could have met in the Fantastic Beasts movies
• “I'm glad we didn't get him ‘cause I hate him.” - Marjolaine 

Podcast Question: Who is the better baddie, Grindelwald or Voldemort?

• Happy Valentine's, Galentine's, and/or Palentine's Day!
• Thanks to this week's Patreon supporter, Ali! We appreciate you!
• Phoenix Register: we have a name for the Wizarding World land in Epic Universe! It's called The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: The Ministry of Magic. More info here.
• Find out one of Carolyn's husband's core memories.
• Owl Post: Jerri writes in about sea adventures and swimming snakes. 
• Enjoy the tangent about dog beds as well. 
• Main Discussion: a deep dive into MinaLima's Fantastic Beasts work in The Magic of MinaLima!
• If you'd like to follow along in your copy:
  • First two images pg 62–63
  • Ministries of Magic intro to section Pg 88-89
  • British Ministry of Magic Pg 90-93
  • MACUSA Pg 100-103
  • French Ministry of Magic Pg 104-105
  • German Ministry of Magic Pg 107-107
  • Newt’s home and menagerie Pg 82-83
• We talk the various Ministries of Magic, Dumbledore's measurements, and more. 
• “I think the technical term is floopy-doopy?”
• Who is McGonagall? Is she real?
• “That’s where you go for Olympus!”
• Can anyone actually draw a map of the US?
• If you need some truly killer trivia questions, listen to the numbers Shannen lists at 53:38.
• “France is like, we’re women!”
• If you’d like to purchase your own copy, you can get the ebook or the physical book!
• For more MinaLima, there’s also a pop-up shop at Universal Orlando.
• Newtcase: changelings!
• The moral of changelings is “be nice to children.”

Podcast Question: What’s your favorite piece of MinaLima art?

• Welcome … to SpeakBeasty After Dark, ft. Shannen's post-cold voice. 
• Thanks to this week's Patreon supporter, Jasmine H.!
• Phoenix Register: HBO is holding pitch meetings for the Harry Potter TV series, per Deadline. 
• TikTok doesn't understand lead times.
• New Harry Potter Squishmallows are coming out, featuring Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
• Owl Post: Jerri writes in with thoughts on Universal, Edinburgh, and the show ending.
• Main Discussion: the final third of the beasts that haven't appeared on-screen in Harry Potter or Fantastic Beasts. 
• Unicorns: dangerous? Chill? Dangerously chill?
• “He's a funny little guy but he'll eat you!”
• Liz aspires to be a “create an entire magical species to destroy fishing nets” level of petty 
• You can listen to us be so, so wrong about snallygasters in episode 141, “More Dumbledores, More Secrets.”
• “The Ministry … is bad.” - Shannen
• Bigfoots and brown bears are working together!
• Disco Yeti!!
• Time-Turner: the history of Muggle zoology!
• Marjolaine has proof that Charles Darwin was not a wizard.

Podcast Question: Which beast, of the ones discussed today, would you like to see in the Fantastic Beasts movies?

• Time isn't a real thing and we made it up.
• Thanks to this week's Patreon supporter, Allee!
• Phoenix Register: Hogwarts Legacy is the best-selling game in the UK and the US for 2023. It was also the most-searched game on Google.
• A giant elder wand has gone up at Epic Universe! Pictures here. It's acting as a beacon to mark the entrance of the Wizarding World land.
• Sad news: with episode 200, we're  bringing SpeakBeasty to a close. It's not goodbye, it's see you later!
• The last episode is actually dropping 3/31, not right before the eclipse.
• “My dog's really cute, and so is my husband, and I'm kinda funny…”
• Main Discussion: Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts experiences in Edinburgh!
• We talk about The Elephant House Cafe, Greyfriars Kirkyard, various inspirations for Hogwarts (including Donaldson Hall), Victoria Street, Museum Context, Loch Ness, the Kelpies, Scottish wildcats, and Edinburgh’s history with witches.
• Marjolaine mentions a special experience in the Elephant House's bathroom. 
• How many bottles of whisky did Chris bring home??
• Sometimes the lizard brain kicks in.
• Find out the daring way Ann distracted the TSA from noticing all of Chris’ whisky. 
• No-Maj Movie Magic: location scouting!
• Find out what a location scout has to look for, and how it applied to the Fantastic Beasts series.
• We've linked it before, but the interview with Christian Manz can be read here.

Podcast Question: Why do you think the Elder Wand was chosen as the Wizarding World beacon at Epic Universe? What would you have chosen?

• Happy New Year from the SpeakBeasty team! 
• Thanks to this week's Patreon supporter, Beth W.!
• Phoenix Register: congratulations to Geoff and Ashley on the newest member of the Beasty crew! 
• Owl Post: Liz, Lorrie, and Geoff write in about their favorite Beasty moments of the year.
• Main Discussion: in honor of the newest baby Beasty, we're talking the care and feeding of baby Beasts!
• “I did heavy amounts of research … in my head.”
• What animal is Liz usually mistaken for?
• We ponder the limits of diricawl teleportation.
• “That's Credence just being a silly boy.”
• Qilins just love to frolic.
• New Segment: Beasts Among Us! 
• We're talking panda diplomacy.
• Baby pandas (in utero) are the size of a stick of butter!

Podcast Question: Which Fantastic Beasts baby is the cutest?

• It’s Christmas! A very Beasty Christmas to those of you who celebrate!
• Phoenix Register: Visions of Magic is open in Cologne!
• Alison Sudol, Dan Fogler, Victoria Yeates, Poppy Corby-Tuech, and Oliver Massuci reunited at German Film Comic Con and talked behind the scenes shenanigans, what role they’d like to play in the upcoming Harry Potter TV series, and the surprising location of the green room! Watch the panel on YouTube.
• Cursed Child is kicking off its national tour in Chicago in September! Who’s up for a show?
• Attraction and shop names were revealed for Epic Universe. Check out the article here.
• Owl Post: Jerri writes in about the beasts she thinks would have done well in the movies.
• Main Discussion: The SpeakBeasty Year in Review!
• What friend of the show was in Hogwarts Legacy?
• The Great Wizarding Express is maybe less great than advertised.
• May 2023: In our Mothman era.
• “And my dog was like, why aren’t you letting me sniff things?”
• Warner Brothers should give us a medal.
• Time-Turner: Christmas in America in the 1930s!
• Christmas during the Great Depression was, surprisingly, depressing.
• American Girl update: it was definitely not Samantha.

Podcast Question: What was your favorite Harry Potter or Fantastic Beasts moment or memory of 2023 (and why was it listening to SpeakBeasty)?

• Thanks to this week’s Patreon supporter, Neeharika P.!
• We’re still workshopping the festive version of our name.
• No news this week ☹
• …except that there might be a Supernatural reboot?
• No owl post either ☹ please send us owl post, but not your Destiel fanfics
• Main Discussion: The beasts we didn’t see, part 2
• “Part of my brain is a horsefish?”
• More references: the Hodag statue in Wisconsin, clay Horklumps, …And That’s Why We Drink #173 Mongoose Cam and a New Gemini Icon, The Magnus Archives #103 “Cruelty Free,” nogtail art (1, 2, 3), Grand Pabbie in Frozen: The Broadway Musical
• Newt got expelled because his jarvey is too rude and full of ‘tude
• Liz is a knarl, confirmed
• “A venom SAC, not a venom SNACK.”
• Ann’s theory about the trolls from Frozen is confirmed

Podcast Question: Which beast of the ones we discussed today would you like to see in an upcoming movie?

• Do the kids still say ‘IRL?’
• Thanks to this week’s Patreon supporter, Anne S.!
• Phoenix Register: the House of Minalima pop-up opened in Paris, and Marjo got to go!
• Marjo reveals some Fantastic Beasts secrets and we learn something incredibly unsurprising about Geoff.
• You can see the newspaper we talk about here.
• There’s a connection between Hadestown and Secrets of Dumbledore.
• Owl Post: Jerri writes in with suggestions of where else the gang could go.
• Main Discussion: the beasts we didn’t see!
• To follow along, read the article here.
• “This is like if black mold had a personality …and a soul…”
• Shannen takes a firm stand on chizpurfle rights.
• KRUPPIES!
• Newt could have become a fairy dad.

Podcast Question: What creature would you have liked to see, or would like to see, in a future movie?

• Thanks to this week’s Patreon supporter, Margie!
• Phoenix Register: stop telling Geoff that having a kid with a birthday so close to Christmas is going to be rough!! (note from Ann: as a day-after-Christmas baby, IT IS ROUGH THOUGH)
• For actual news: Did WB actually commit to five FB movies, or was that just wishful thinking?
• We break down the infamous ‘five’ Tweet with what we know now.
• Owl Post: Jerri shares her theme park thoughts!
• Listeners, do we need an All-Day Geoff Podcast Marathon?
• Owl-bert suggests an expansion of the FB universe.
• Can one person truly encapsulate Dumbledore?
• Someone please cancel Liz on TikTok. Please.
• Main Discussion: the other countries we’d like to see Newt and the squad travel to!
• We suggest Brazil, Canada, and a lot of other places!
• Caiporas vs nifflers: who would win?
• We like the cold mostly for the iconic outerwear.
• This is a surprisingly lake-monster-heavy episode.
• Fun fact: It is illegal to pretend to be a witch in Canada!
• The children haven’t done the research!
• Time-Turner: Art Deco!
• Art nouveau vs art deco
• You can read the Lonely Planet article Carolyn references here.

Podcast Question: Where would you like to see Newt and the gang go?

• We are deep into spooky and Swiftie season.
• Thanks to this week’s Patreon supporter, Jemima!
• Happy birthday to Ann’s dad too!
• Phoenix Register: MinaLima’s pop-up House of MinaLima is open in Paris from October 27 to March 9!
• To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Harry Potter, and the release of MinaLima’s Prisoner of Azkaban, the Franklin Roosevelt station in Paris has been decorated with huge Harry Potter illustrations. Check out the La Gazette article here.
• No owl post ☹ Tell us why your favorite public transit system should have a stop named after Newt Scamander!
• Main Discussion: theme parks!
• Amy needs immersion in her theme park experiences.
• Could we be getting a Wizarding World in Europe? More information on Universal’s possible acquisition of PortAventura here. (Article by Shannen!)
• How many of us are roller coaster people? (Spoiler: none of us)
• Watch a Hippogriff lesson at Universal Osaka here.
• Shannen tells the story of a sneaky, magical wedding.
• Brief spoilers for Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventures at 00:25:19 - 00:25:30.
• Pro-tip: ride the Hogwarts Express both ways!
• Watch Celestina Warbeck’s Christmas show here.
• Epic Universe discussion, including pretty major spoilers, runs from 00:46:45 – 01:10:45. Specific ride spoilers from 00:53:20 – 1:00:51. Skip if you want to go into Epic Universe unspoiled!
• We get to armchair Imagineer!
• SpeakBeasty meetup in 2025!
• Newtcase: vampires!
• “He was born in 1776, as all Americans were.”
• Some owls have a scientific name of strigoi!
• We discuss our first vampires.

Podcast Question: What do you expect from the Circus Arcanus show in Epic Universe?

• Thanks to this week's Patreon supporter, Colleen S.! Congratulations on the baby!
• Phoenix Register: David Yates did an interview with Deadline where he spoke shooting Secrets of Dumbledore during the pandemic, and the future of the franchise. Read it here. 
• What does the future of Harry Potter look like without David Yates?
• A book of Wizarding World piano music was released, featuring music from Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts. Give it a look here (US) or here (worldwide EXCEPT the US).
• Jerri writes in with her thoughts about the beasts' ranking. 
• Main Discussion: Hogwarts Legacy and its beasts!
• This discussion is PLOT spoiler-free, but if you want to go in completely unspoiled, come back after you've played.
• Were the hype and community hurt by the staggered rollout?
• You = Newt 
• If you're yelling at your phone "IT'S 1890," you're not alone.
• This was the first result on YouTube for "cozy vivarium tour." Enjoy! 
• "You have the Dugbog … nice… I hate them."
• Carolyn, Marjolaine, and Shannen discuss their dream Wizarding World video games.
• Battle of the Beasts: Carolyn! vs! Shannen!

Podcast Question: What is your dream Fantastic Beasts video game, or other kind of game?

• Happy birthday, Carolyn!!
• Thanks to this week’s Patreon supporter, Alex L.! We appreciate your support!
• Phoenix Register: no news ☹
• Owl Post: Jerri writes in with her thoughts about Credence, and Liz suggests a new face for Credence.
• Main Discussion: We rank the beasts!
• “Bunty could have just been Dougal.”
• We need the Pastries and Pickett buddy comedy now.
• Antonio lives in our hearts.
• You can tell Ann was not on this episode because of where thestrals ended up ranking.
• Liz on the Augurey: “Is that what I look like all the time?”
• We find out the surprising contender for the worst beast.
• Check out the full ranking list here.
• Time-Turner: service dogs!
• You can listen to the Shmanners episode Shannen references here.

Podcast Question: What do you think of our ranking? What would you have done differently?

• IT'S PUMPKIN SPICE EVERYTHING SEASON 
• Thanks to this week's Patreon supporter, Robert P.! We couldn't do it without you!
• Phoenix Register: some news!
• Congratulations to Alison Sudol on her new baby! Alison's Instagram post is here. 
• Harry Potter: Magic at Play reopens in November in Seattle
• Harry Potter: Visions of Magic opens in Germany in December. Check out the teaser here.
• Cursed Child is licensed for high schools! 
• Ann and Geoff share their high school theater horror stories. 
• No owl post as of the time of recording 
• Main Discussion: Frantic Fanfic! Ann, Geoff, and Amy write the Fantastic Beasts fanfics of their dreams. 
• If you also want to write the fanfics of your dreams, you and your friends can do it here.
• We're, like, really good at writing.
• Everything is made up and the points don't matter!
• If you want to read the fics featured in the show, as well as our practice stories, you can check out our AO3 account here.
• Time-Turner: the origins of fanfiction!
• The Atlantic article Amy references is here. 

Podcast Question: Which fic was your favorite?

• Welcome to our special guest, Dag!
• Ambition + intelligence = world-conquering 
• Thanks to this week's Patreon supporter, Roger B.!
• Phoenix Register: Leaky was great and we made so many cool friends!
• Happy Back to Hogwarts Day! (Did Warner Brothers announce anything cool?)
• MinaLima opened a store in Seoul! If you're there, check it out and tell us how cool it is.
• Owl Post: MissElphabaKayenta and Carolyn write in with their unanswered questions about the Beasts movies.
• Main Discussion: Obscurials, and obscuruses vs patronuses!
• Patronuses = yoga girlies
• Is casting a Patronus really THAT hard?
• "We all know guilt is one of Dumbledore's many middle names."
• It seems Patronuses are born from happiness and Obscuruses are born from rage. 
• "Umbridge can cast a Patronus, which is freaking stupid - "
• This theory makes us want the ending of Credence's story EVEN MORE
• Newtcase: The cat sith!
• Sources: Timberbush Tours, Biddy's - Ireland's Lore and Tales, and Katethulu's Cave of Mysteries 
• OH LAWD HE COMIN
• If you liked Dag and want more content, find them on Gmail, Instagram, Tumblr, or YouTube at @wrockingwriter!

Podcast Question: Do you think Credence could be saved? If so, how? Also, what is your Patronus?

• We're live from LeakyCon!
• Who's Geoff's favorite character? The answer might surprise you!
• Dumbledougal > Dumbleron
• The hosts each bring a theory, rank them, and the audience ranks them!
• "I'm just typing so it looks like I'm doing something."
• During Carolyn's theory, the audience member is suggesting an additional theory of two separate people's magic fighting for dominance. 
• Marjolaine has PAGES of notes.
• Read Ann's theory here.
• Truly the Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt of the wizarding world.
• Once the theories are out, we build the fourth movie!
• We really build THREE movies, but there's so much story.
• Geoff's kefta can be found here.

• No news :(
• Marjolaine truly is a witch - you can catch her on here, and, if you're in Chicago, at LeakyCon! 
• Owl Post: Liz, Sal, and Jerri send in their thoughts about why Dumbledore didn't attend Queenie and Jacob's wedding 
• Main Discussion: Threads that were (and weren't) resolved through the series 
• Grindelwald, Jacob and Queenie, Credence got their plots resolved…
• …but we still have questions about Theseus, Nagini, and the Obscurus

Podcast Question: What unanswered questions do you have from the Fantastic Beasts series?

• Happy Barbenheimer weekend to all who celebrate!
• Also happy birthday to Shannen!
• Thanks to this week’s Patreon supporter, JY! We appreciate you!
• Phoenix Register: The SAG-Aftra and WGA strikes won’t affect Fantastic Beasts! Ha ha ha … ha ha … ha …
• SpeakBeasty DOES stand with the writers and actors!
• Last reminder: Come see Marjolaine, Ann, Geoff, and Carolyn at LeakyCon! Sunday 8/6, at 2:30 PM. We’ll have ribbons! More info here.
• We’ll get the last two movies done even if we have to do it ourselves.
• Main Discussion: Scenes 96-100 of the screenplay
• It’s the end of the movie :(
• Shout-out to Liz who should have been on the episode!!
• We discuss all the delicious Polish foods at Jacob and Queenie’s wedding.
• Check out Dan’s adorable Instagram post here.
• “The focus is solely on Tina, as it should be.”
• We are here for empowered women empowering women
• Once again, there are issues with the timeline.
• “Who are you, Santa Claus?”
• Shannen builds the Tangled/Frozen/Fantastic Beasts crossover we’re all secretly dreaming of.
• Bunty IS part of the squad.
• Shannen finds a surprising synchronicity with Philosopher’s Stone.
• Battle of the Beasts: Shannen! Vs! Marjolaine! Who will win??

Podcast Question: Why do you think Dumbledore didn’t attend the wedding?

• Thanks to this week's Patreon supporter, Lou K.! 
• Phoenix Register: LEAKYCON IS HAPPENING AND WE HAVE A PANEL!
• Come catch Ann, Marjolaine, Geoff, and Carolyn on Sunday, 8/6, at 2:30! More info here.
• Send us your best theories for our Leaky panel! 
• Geoff will also be appearing on multiple other panels as well as playing wizard rock as DreamQuaffle! More info on their schedule here.
• The Studio Tour in Tokyo is officially open and hosts the Great Wizarding Express!
• Warner Brothers has announced a new Wizarding World experience: Visions of Magic. It will tour worldwide and starts in Europe.
• Main Discussion: Scene 95, Part 2
• Mads looks mad and we're here for it.
• Marjolaine finds a connection to Hogwarts Legacy.
• Who shot first, Han or Gree - uh, Albus or Gellert?
• "Their statuses just got updated from 'it's complicated' to 'single.'"
• Grindelwald busts out his most iconic line.
• Wizards are not exempt from mob mentality.
• "Oh, Bunty."
• From one Dark wizard right to the next. Can Dumbledore get a break??
• This scene literally nearly killed Marjolaine. 
• No-Maj Movie Magic: The Best Duels in Movies of All Time!
• …including an entry from Harry Potter!
• Rob Roy IS real.

Podcast Question: Were you satisfied with the Grindelwald vs Dumbledore duel? Why or why not?

• Happy Pride month!!
• Thanks to this week's Patreon supporter, Sam S.!
• Phoenix Register: Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature opened in Melbourne. Lucy from MuggleNet went - check it out here.
• An additional video has leaked from Epic Universe.
• The Studio Tour in Tokyo has opened as well.
• No owl Post. Please write in!
• Main Discussion: Scene 95, part 1
• The gang goes bowling.
• More of the Wizarding world added to Epic Universe, please
• Fischer has no bothers left to give
• Even Grindelwald's fireworks are bullies.
• We speculate on what could change Grindelwald's mind about Muggles.
• How long is Jacob under the Cruciatus curse? Find out!
• "Hey b, I bet you thought you'd seen the last of me."
• Bunty saves the day!
• Shannen doesn't like it and neither does Dumbledore.
• Newtcase: The catawumpus from Knott's Berry Farm! Read about it here.

Podcast Question: Why do you think the spell cast on the dead qilin failed?

• Welcome back to Carolyn, our graphic designer!
• Thanks to this week’s Patreon supporter, Katy C.!
• Phoenix Register: MinaLima presents new sketches from Newt’s field notebook. There are a total of eight postcard designs, including two mystery designs.
• “They’re upcharging for cuteness and mystery.”
• Owl Post: TinasHotDog on IG writes in about how she would have liked Jacob and Queenie’s reunion to go.
• Main Discussion: Scenes 91-94 of the screenplay
• So. Many. Stairs.
• Confidence is Henrietta’s best accessory.
• Please make Kama make sense!
• “Insert ridiculous fan theory: GALLEONS.”
• No speeches = mad Marjo.
• “Vogel isn’t running because nobody likes him.”
• Did Grindelwald love Dumbledore, or just what he represented?
• Time-Turner: the suitcase!
• How do you test if a suitcase is waterproof?
• Someone write in and tell Carolyn why she’s wrong about Extension Charms.

Podcast Question: What do you think the candidate’s platforms were? (For our takes on it, check out Episode 154, “Ominous Vibes.”)