Episode 195: A Great Big Magical World

SpeakBeasty is proud to present THE BEASTY AWARDS! Twenty categories decided by our patrons.  Thanks to this week's Patreon supporter … ALL OF THEM, past and present! We literally couldn't have done it without you. Who won best glow-up? Spoopiest moment? Most dramatic?  Our on- and off-air talents say their goodbyes. Thanks for listening. Your support, your love, your comments, and your downloads kept us going. Case closed.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Thanks to this week's Patreon supporter, Jamie!  Phoenix Register: while we wait for the news that cancels the hiatus… The Harry Potter series on MAX will be out in 2026. “I hope they Riverdale it.” Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is 20 (how?!) and the Studio Tour is celebrating from May 1 - September 4. More info here. Owl Post: none, but don't worry, we're not firing the owls. Main Discussion: magical creatures in theme parks! We talk Universal, Disney, Knott’s, and Efteling.  “Let's get weird and talk about dragons.” Check out Shannen going into the Blind Pig here! Amy talks her fondest Borgin & Burke's memory.  For some reason, the manticore on Hagrid’s doesn't look like the one in Secrets of Dumbledore… See Ann, Marjolaine, and their dragon friend here! “Who cares about [Avatar]? A lot of people, apparently.” Shannen talks more in-depth about the Catawampus on episode 180, Bowling for Beasts. Time-Turner: the founding of Universal Studios! Podcast Question: What is your favorite Fantastic Beasts memory from a theme park?

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?