The Niffler is back in 'Fantastic Beasts 2' but nothing makes up for Johnny Depp

Not to be outdone by the Porgmania sweeping the nation, Fantastic Beasts star Eddie Redmayne revealed to Entertainment Weekly that Fantastic Beasts 2: The Crimes of Grindelwald will introduce us to new magical creatures – and bring back the wily, adorable Niffler.

“There’s a Chinese creature that’s formidable,” Redmayne told EW. “There are some of the old favorites: The Niffler is back and causing havoc. As is Pickett.”

Pickett was in the first film as Newt Scamander's faithful Bowtruckle – a small, stick-like creature that dwells in trees. Pickett is pretty loyal to Newt, and not a bad creature to have around in a tight spot.

“There are as many beasts in the film as in the first,” executive producer David Heyman said. “But the main driver in the first film was finding the beasts. That’s not the driver in this film, it’s not a central part of the plot. But beasts feature in the film and feature strongly.”

That's right, kids, the beasts have officially been sidelined from their own titular franchise, in favor of – you know it's coming – Johnny Depp as the dark wizard Grindelwald. Fantastic Beasts 2 is named for Depp's character, which means he's central to the plot. Connecting him to the beasts seems like a stretch, unless he's looking for a creature to help with his dark takeover. The connection is more likely through Scamander and his association with Dumbledore, Grindelwald's former beau and current foe.

The intense focus on Grindelwald as played by Depp has drawn criticism from Harry Potter fans to the point that director David Yates, writer J.K. Rowling, and even Depp's ex-wife Amber Heard (who filed a restraining order against him for domestic abuse) made public statements since the film's initial title announcement. The best case scenario is for Grindelwald to be swiftly eaten by a swarm of Nifflers. Wear something shiny, dude.

Fantastic Beasts 2 releases in Nov. 2018.