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As anticipation builds for the Nov. 18 release of “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” much of the focus has been on Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne heading the cast of the latest movie set in the wizarding world of J.K. Rowling.

But the film, set 70 years before Harry Potter leaves for Hogwarts, also features some magical women in its cast. ENTITY introduces you to a trio of them here:

1 Katherine Waterson

Katherine Waterson. Photo by Jim Smeal/BEI/BEI/Shutterstock

Katherine Waterson.
Photo by Jim Smeal/BEI/BEI/Shutterstock

Waterson plays a young witch named Porpentina Goldstein who works for the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA). She has been “demoted below her abilities and ambitions because she stood up for the wrong person,” says Pottermore, J.K. Rowling’s “wizarding world” website.

When asked if she compared her character in “Fantastic Beasts” to Hermione Granger in the original Potter films, Waterson told CinemaBlend, “You know, they’re totally different characters and I don’t feel like I’m stepping into her shoes simply because I’m a woman. It’s just amazing to be a part of this world that means so much to people and I don’t have any problem with considering it in that way.”

2 Alison Sudol

Alison Sudol.

Alison Sudol.

Musician-turned-actress Sudol plays the younger sister of Porpetina Goldstein, Queenie, who is able to delve into people’s minds and understand their thoughts and emotions.

Rowling told fans in an article on Pottermore, “You’re going to love Queenie Goldstein. She’s brave, wild and unusually perceptive. Which could have a little something to do with her ability to peer into your soul.”

Sudol told Pottermore, “The longer I play her, the more I delve into Queenie’s powers.”

3 Carmen Ejogo

Carmen Ejogo

Carmen Ejogo.

“The Purge” actress Carmen Ejogo plays the formidable President of MACUSA, Seraphina Picquery. When Eddie Redmanyne’s character, Newt Scamander, appears in New York City in 1926 and accidentally lets loose magical beasts from his suitcase, Picquery must deal with the repercussions.

On her character’s infamous wand, Ejogo tells Pottermore, “I don’t think that [Seraphina] is ostentatious in any way, but I do think she is commanding and she knows the power that she yields. That wand represents that power. You can tell that something epic will happen when it’s used. Seraphina’s kind of like that. She’s epic.”

“Fantastic Beasts” is one of a series of five upcoming films written by renowned author J.K. Rowling and set in her “wizarding world.” News has already broken about Johnny Depp reportedly set to appear in the “Fantastic Beats” sequel.

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