The British film magazine has released an 'enchanted' - or, in more scientific terms, 'interactive' – cover for its latest issue, to celebrate the film release of the new Harry Potter spin-off, Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them.

The interactive cover, which the magazine describes as "possibly a world first", features a tiny video screen hidden between a double layer of card that plays the film's trailer and an exclusive behind-the-scenes featurette whenever readers hold it up to the heavens and chant "alohomora!" – or, you know, hold down the play button for two seconds.

It also features a mini USB charging port, for those times Lord Voldemort runs the batteries down low.

"Beneath the card are microchips and circuit boards, which lead to buttons that you press on and off. The video screen is like a moving picture on the front page of a newspaper," the magazine's deputy editor Jonathan Pile explained to fan site Pottermore, adding that the idea was inspired by 'The New York Ghost', a paper featured in Fantastic Beasts.

The issue, available in a limited run of 5,000 copies, is only on sale at Sainsbury's stores in the UK for £9.99 ($16 AUD).

In a world of iPads and tablet editions, the 'magical' idea may be quaintly cute - but Potter nerds have reacted with glee. 

Based on the 2001 novel of the same name by J.K. Rowling, the Fantastic Beasts film - directed by franchise regular David Yates, and penned by Rowling herself - follows 'magizoologist' Newt Scamander, played by Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne, who's on a mission to rescue his menagerie of magical creatures after they're accidentally set loose on 1926 New York City.

Though set in the same fictional universe, it takes place 70 years before Harry Potter's story starts.

The film opens in cinemas locally on November 17.