It shouldn’t have much of a surprise when the theories were finally confirmed, but Harry Potter fans still got a huge shock on Sept. 25 when Warner Bros. debuted the final trailer for “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.”
The preview included the surprise revelation by introducing Nagini as a human woman years before becoming Voldemort’s snake and Horcrux. Nagini is a Maledictus in the film, meaning she is a carrier of a blood curse that would eventually lead her to turn into a beast. South Korean actress Claudia Kim is playing the role of Nagini.
Despite the exciting reveal that fans will finally get some sort of backstory of the famous character, the decision to cast Kim as Nagini was met with a sizable amount of backlash online.
Many people pointed out that Kim is just one of two actors of color playing main roles in the “Fantastic Beasts” sequel; the other is Zoe Kravitz.
Fans also expressed their dislike of the fact that Rowling decided to have one of her only actors of color play a snake who will one day be subservient to Voldemort. Many said that casting Kim as a snake perpetuates the “dragon lady” stereotype.
But Rowling, being the clever and sassy creative mind she is, defended the casting by replying to one fan on Twitter who was upset with Kim playing Nagini.
The fan wrote that “suddenly making Nagini into a Korean woman is garbage,” but Rowling explained that Nagini’s Asian heritage was built into the character from the start.
“The Naga are snake-like mythical creatures of Indonesian mythology, hence the name ‘Nagini,’” Rowling said. “They are sometimes depicted as winged, sometimes as half-human, half-snake. Indonesia comprises a few hundred ethnic groups, including Javanese, Chinese and Betawi. Have a lovely day.”
Kim has shared her excitement about her role ever since it was officially revealed.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Kim said, “It will be so interesting to see another side of Nagini. You’ve only seen her as a Horcrux. In this, she’s a wonderful and vulnerable woman who wants to live. She wants to stay a human being and I think that’s a wonderful contrast to the character.”
“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” opens nationwide Nov. 16.
By: Maytinee Kramer
