How would you characterise that?
Youre right though, its a wonderful comparison to make.
I think the book was hugely successful for Comic Relief when it came out?
It raised lots of galleons and knuts.
[Laughs] Yeah, exactly!
And I thought, crikey, we must be doing something right?
[Laughs]
Pre-Potter, you were known for politically themed TV series.
How much do you believe in the power of popular drama to transform thinking?
There are so many things that have such a profound influence in holding whats important to us together.
Football, the arts, culture, politics.
Now, where does drama fit into all of that?
Well, dramas a reflection of our lives in some shape or form.
We reflect that as storytellers and as filmmakers, so I think itspartof the conversation.
Can it shift the needle?
Its part of many things that could shift the needle.
I think its quite powerful, but there are other things that are equally, if not more important.
I suppose making that one twelve-year-old feel the world is safer…
Thats not a bad thing!
And actually, I think thats the beauty of a movie like this.
I think it was already inherent in the material.
They asked me to come in because they knew that kind of stuff I was doing anyway.
Kids still like the movie.
But this is the first Potter universe film not to have children in lead roles.
Would you say that young audiences dont need to see children on screen to identify with the characters?
I dont think they do.
Its set in 1920s New York…
We were always very sensitive to that.
We could have probably gone further quite honestly.
In terms of the casting right down the spectrum, you’re able to always go further.
I think we can go much further.
And with fantasy, youve obviously got free rein to do that.
Theres no…
Yeah, indeed.
You mentioned safety earlier, lets talk about danger in this universe.Fantastic Beastsis pre-Voldemort.
Hes a much more sophisticated player than Voldemort.
Except with Johnny Depp it will befar from banal!
It does seem that your storys going to have an awful lot of relevance to world events.
Youve spoken in the past about the opportunity of making these films as being like having a massive trainset.
We have a good Stuff-ometer between us, so if I start to get too…
I get bored by the Stuff.
Because it isnt rooted in character or story, its just Stuff.
action sequences, or whatever and Im not really interested in all that [laughs].
Im always pulling things out that just feels like Stuff.
But equally, Im also conscious I just want to push it a bit more.
If we can find a way of pushing it in a way that really supports story and character.
There were moments inFantastic Beastwhere I felt as though I was at the circus.
How do you know when its full?
You judge everything as youre doing it, before you lock the film.
How do you know when its full?
You just make a judgement call on it and if it feels right, it feels right.
Do you get it right all the time?
I always feel I wouldnt mind another couple of weeks in the edit.
That said, didnt I read you once saying that you hadtoo longto tinker withThe Legend Of Tarzan?
I was makingBeastsand still editingTarzan.
I think theres a point where it starts to eat itself.
Theres a real balance.
Theres never enough time and sometimes theres too much!
What sort of influence did 20s slapstick comedy have onFantastic Beasts?
There is a sort of Laurel and Hardy vibe with Newt and Jacobs aesthetic.
Well, in the 1920s, you just cant resist that stuff.
I love physical comedy and I love Chaplin and Keaton.
There were physical performances as well as cerebral and soulful ones.
I love all that.
Is that a normal number for you?
It could be anywhere between one and fifty, I guess.
And out of that process, you get some interesting stuff.
What took fifty takes inFantastic Beasts?
Ill tell you a good one.
Once we started that, we couldnt stop and Eddie couldnt stop.
And I think we got it and then Eddie said No, I need to do it again!
So it was never in the movie!
Not having to trim the story down and discard too much.
Yeah, that was a wonderful thing.
Okay, go for it!
It says in this book that Newt graduated from Hogwarts.
[In the film, were told he was expelled.]
Oh my God, well-spotted!
You might get stick for that.
We might get some stick.
Well, you know, it wouldnt be filmmaking if we didnt get some stick!
That felt surprising, because someone like Rickman always looked on screen so untouchable in terms of his talent.
I think its a credit to him that he was still searching for things.
He was a great, great, great actor.
David Yates, thank you very much!
Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them is in cinemas now.
