‘Fantastic Beasts’ Star Katherine Waterston Says Hermione And Tina Are ‘Totally Different Characters’

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” is set in the Wizarding World from “Harry Potter,” but it’s not telling the same story. Katherine Waterston plays Tina in the new fantasy flick, but she said that her character isn’t just another version of Hermione.

Waterston was asked by Collider about essentially filling Hermione’s (Emma Watson) shoes. She’ll be playing the female character that many girls will look up to and identify with. However, Waterston had not really thought about Tina as being similar to Hermione.

“It never occurred to me to compare myself to her just because we’re both female, in any way,” she explained. “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. It just never occurred to me to think of it in those terms and probably it would make me nervous at the thought of it [laughs] because she was so good in those films. So, I just don’t think about that.”

Tina will have someone Hermione never had: a sister. Queenie (Alison Sudol) plays a big role in the November movie, and her relationship with Tina is important. “It’s two sisters that have basically raised each other because their parents died when they were very young,” Sudol told IGN. “So, there’s a kind of mutual caring for each other. It’s not like older sister/younger sister. I think, in some ways, Tina is more grounded and an adult. But then, Queenie has this deep empathy and such an unbelievable amount of perception about everybody but especially about Tina.”

It also should be noted that the Goldstein sisters aren’t the only prominent women in “Fantastic Beasts.” Zoe Kravitz also plays a mystery character who is reportedly going to play a large part in the sequels. Similarly, the President of the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA) is Seraphina Picquery (Carmen Ejogo). Waterston noted that magical society is a bit more progressive about certain aspects of life.

“I feel like there’s the period the film is set in but then there’s also a lot of sort of magical permission a little bit in the world we’re creating,” the actress added. “It’s doesn’t seem to be divided by race or sex in ways that the world was in the ‘20s or in the way America was in the twenties. We have a female President. Is that a secret? There are different rules than our world.”

Of course, the Wizarding World isn’t without its flaws. Set in 1920s America, “Fantastic Beasts” follows magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) as he accidentally loses some his beloved creatures. They start wreaking havoc and threaten to expose the Wizarding World to no-majs (non-magical folk). The Wizarding World doesn’t even allow wizards and witches to befriend ordinary humans for fear of exposure. They won’t take Newt’s mistake lightly.

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” hits theaters Nov. 18.