In a couple weeks, we’ll finally get our first taste of the new Fantastic Beasts movies, a film saga from Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling (though it’s unclear if she’ll pen the scripts for each one) that’s set to run for five movies. When the time comes, and we’ve all seen the movie, there will, of course, be plenty of comparisons to the Harry Potter series. After all, it contains magic, is set in the same world, features some of the same characters, is sprung from the mind of the same author, and it’s even been helmed by the same director.

In short, there are more than enough reasons for fans to start drawing up their compare and contrast charts, despite the fact that this movie will more than have to survive on its own merits. While at EW’s PopFest, Fantastic Beasts stars Eddie Redmayne — who plays Newt Scamander in the film — and Katherine Waterston — who plays Porpentina — discussed what was the same, and (a bit of) what was different between the film and the Harry Potter series.

Redmayne was the first to answer:

“The first thing that’s different is it’s set in the 1920s, and it’s set in New York. And it’s this amazing age of the Jazz Age and Prohibition, and there’s a kind of vibrancy to that place at that time. But also there are rumblings of this huge war of good versus evil going on. And this Englishman, this English wizard, arrives in New York, and the beasts getting out sort of sets into motion a whole load of things. There’s that kind of epic J.K. Rowling start of a massive battle thing going on.”

Waterston also answered, and like Redmayne focused more on what kind of differences and similarities the film had to the Harry Potter series than the differences.

“Like in Harry Potter, these sort of reluctant heroes kind of come together and find themselves in the center of this impending war. What’s so lovely about it is you get to know them as this is happening, so you find yourself rooting for them.”

I suppose that unlike with the Harry Potter films, we’ll only be getting to know these characters as the film progresses, and as a result, there’s sure to be a fair better amount of dramatic tension for most of the audience than there was in the Harry Potter films.

Are you looking forward to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? Let us know your thoughts down below!

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them hits theaters on November 18, 2016.

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SOURCE: EW (via Screen Rant)