Fantastic Beasts director reveals the French word for 'muggle'
Two years ago, we learned the American word for “muggle” when Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was released.
It turned out non-wizards were called “no-maj” in the United States as a replacement for the more English-sounding “muggle.”
With the highly anticipated Harry Potter franchise’s sequel, The Crimes of Grindelwald, set in Paris, will we hear another new term for non-magical persons?
Indeed we will, though this one would give you, to use another French-inspired term, a bit of déjà vu.
According to director David Yates, the French term for muggle in the film is simply: “Non–magique.”
We also asked Yates about the wizarding vs. muggle community in Paris. Is there as much tension as in New York? Or is it more harmonious like in London?
“[The wizarding world in Paris is] quite glamorous, it’s quite beautiful. There’s a community that lives alongside the muggle community, it’s much freer than in New York, where there’s segregation,” Yates told EW. “Paris is a bit like England, actually, not so hung up about the differences between the two. Magical people can freely move into non-magical communities as long as they’re discrete about their talents…”
Earlier this week, EW revealed that each of the five planned Fantastic Beasts films will be set in a different city around the world (more on that plan here). So that means we might end up with five different terms for muggle by the end of the franchise. As nobody is better at naming things than J.K. Rowling, we’re curious what other terms she’ll come up with for the new films.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald follows Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) teaming with famed professor Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) and Newt’s American friends Tina (Katherine Waterston), Jacob (Dan Fogler) and Queenie (Alison Sudol) to hunt the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp). For ongoing scoop follow @jameshibberd. The Crimes of Grindelwald opens Nov. 16, 2018.
