Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – The Original Screenplay

• Type: Companion Book, Screenplay
• Author: J.K. Rowling
• Publisher: Little, Brown (UK); Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc. (US)
• Publication Date: 18 November 2016
• Cover and Interior Design: Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima (MinaLima)

The screenplay chronicles the adventures of Magizoologist Newt Scamander upon his arrival in New York City in 1926. Carrying a magically-expanded suitcase filled with magical creatures, Newt's visit takes an unexpected turn when his case is accidentally switched with that of a No-Maj (the American term for a Muggle) named Jacob Kowalski. Several of Newt's beasts escape, causing chaos and threatening to expose the wizarding community. As Newt attempts to recapture his creatures, he is drawn into a partnership with Jacob, a demoted Auror named Porpentina Goldstein (Tina), and her mind-reading sister, Queenie Goldstein. Their efforts are complicated by the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA), which is trying to contain a series of violent, unexplained magical events plaguing the city. These events are caused by an Obscurus, a powerful and unstable parasite of dark magic that develops in a young wizard who suppresses their powers. The Obscurial, Credence Barebone, is being manipulated by the powerful Auror Percival Graves, who is eventually revealed to be the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald in disguise.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – The Original Screenplay is the official published script for the film of the same name. It is not a novel but is presented in standard screenplay format, featuring scene headings, action descriptions, and character dialogue. A key feature of the book is its intricate design by MinaLima, the graphic artists for the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts film series. The book's cover and interior pages are styled with an Art Deco aesthetic appropriate to the 1920s setting. The text is interspersed with line-art illustrations of the various magical creatures featured in the story, such as the Niffler, Bowtruckle, and Thunderbird. This publication was the first time many new concepts were formally introduced into the wizarding world canon in text form, including:

• The existence and nature of an Obscurus and an Obscurial.
• The structure and laws of the American wizarding government, MACUSA.
• The term No-Maj for non-magical people.
• Historical wizarding laws in America, such as Rappaport's Law, which enforced strict segregation between wizards and No-Majs.
• Several new magical creatures native to various parts of the world.

This book marks J.K. Rowling's debut as a screenwriter. Having previously written the in-universe textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them for the charity Comic Relief, Rowling was approached by Warner Bros. to develop a film based on its fictional author, Newt Scamander. She chose to write the screenplay herself to properly shape the story and characters for this new prequel series. The decision to publish the screenplay in book form was made to coincide with the film's premiere. This allowed fans to experience the story directly from the author's original text, including scenes and details that may have been altered or cut in the final film production. The book was published globally on 18 November 2016.

This screenplay is the foundational text for the Fantastic Beasts film series, a major expansion of the Wizarding World franchise. It officially moves the narrative focus away from Harry Potter's generation and explores a different era and geographical location within the magical world. Its most significant contribution is formally beginning the story of the Global Wizarding War, focusing on the rise of Gellert Grindelwald—a conflict that was only mentioned as historical background in the original Harry Potter novels. The screenplay provides the canonical account of the events in New York in 1926 and serves as the primary source material for the first film in the series.

• The publication of a screenplay as a major book release was relatively uncommon but proved highly successful, becoming a bestseller and demonstrating the strong fan demand for new canonical content from J.K. Rowling. (Pottermore)
• The cover design by MinaLima features intricate Art Deco patterns and depictions of creatures from the story, such as the Swooping Evil and the Erumpent, establishing a distinct visual identity for the new film series. (MinaLima interview)