Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is the second installment in the Fantastic Beasts film series, with a screenplay written by J.K. Rowling. Set in 1927, the story follows Magizoologist Newt Scamander as he is drawn deeper into the growing conflict against the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald. At the behest of a young Albus Dumbledore, Newt travels to Paris to locate the powerful Obscurial Credence Barebone, who has become a key figure in Grindelwald's plans for wizarding domination over the non-magical world. (film)

The film begins six months after the events of the first film, with Gellert Grindelwald escaping from the custody of the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA) during a prisoner transfer. He immediately begins to rally followers to his cause of establishing a global wizarding hierarchy. (film) In London, Newt Scamander is appealing an international travel ban imposed on him by the Ministry of Magic. His older brother, Theseus Scamander, an Auror, attempts to persuade Newt to join the Ministry in hunting Credence Barebone, but Newt refuses. Later, Albus Dumbledore secretly meets with Newt and tasks him with finding Credence in Paris, believing the boy is in grave danger. Meanwhile, Queenie Goldstein has placed an enchantment on her Muggle partner Jacob Kowalski and brought him to London with the intent to marry, a practice forbidden in America. After the enchantment is broken, an argument leads a distraught Queenie to leave for Paris to find her sister, Tina Goldstein. (film) Newt and Jacob illegally travel to Paris in search of Tina and Credence. There, they discover that Tina is also searching for Credence, who has joined a magical circus. At the circus, they encounter Nagini, a Maledictus who can transform into a snake and has befriended Credence. During a confrontation, Credence releases the circus beasts, and he and Nagini escape. As they search for information about Credence's mother, they are pursued by the wizard Yusuf Kama, who is under an Unbreakable Vow to kill the last male descendant of the Lestrange family, whom he believes to be Credence. (film) Grindelwald's followers arrange a rally for their master at the Lestrange Mausoleum in Père Lachaise Cemetery. Newt, Tina, Jacob, Nagini, Yusuf, and Leta Lestrange all converge at the cemetery. Grindelwald delivers a powerful speech, showing his followers visions of a future global conflict (World War II) as a justification for wizarding rule. He creates a circle of enchanted blue fire that kills any who attempt to leave with wavering loyalty, but allows those who are truly loyal to pass through and join him. Queenie Goldstein, desperate for a world where she can freely marry Jacob, joins Grindelwald. Leta Lestrange sacrifices herself to allow Newt, Theseus, and the others to escape. (film) At Hogwarts, Newt presents Dumbledore with a vial he stole from Grindelwald, which is revealed to contain a Blood Pact made between Dumbledore and Grindelwald in their youth, preventing them from dueling each other. They resolve to find a way to destroy it. In his Austrian fortress, Nurmengard, Grindelwald reveals Credence's true identity: Aurelius Dumbledore, Albus's long-lost brother. He then gifts Credence a wand, and the powerful young wizard demonstrates his abilities by destroying a mountainside. (film)

• Leta Lestrange: An old friend and former love interest of Newt Scamander from his Hogwarts years. She is engaged to his brother, Theseus Scamander, and works at the British Ministry of Magic. (film)
• Theseus Scamander: Newt's older brother, a celebrated Auror and Head of the Auror Office at the Ministry of Magic. (film)
• Nagini: A Maledictus, a woman with a blood curse that will eventually and permanently turn her into a beast. She befriends Credence Barebone. This character is the same Nagini who later becomes Lord Voldemort's loyal snake and final Horcrux. (film)
• Nicolas Flamel: The famed alchemist and creator of the Philosopher's Stone, who resides in Paris and aids Newt and his friends. (film)
• Yusuf Kama: A French-African wizard from an ancient pure-blood line who has been hunting Credence under an Unbreakable Vow. (film)

• Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald: The film delves into the history between the two powerful wizards, showing a young Dumbledore as the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts and revealing the existence of a Blood Pact that prevents them from fighting. Dumbledore is also seen looking into the Mirror of Erised, where he sees Grindelwald.
• Nagini: The film provides the origin story for Voldemort's snake, revealing she was once a human woman afflicted with a Maledictus curse.
• The Lestrange Family: The backstory of the Lestrange family is significantly expanded, providing context for the lineage of prominent Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange.
• Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: Several key scenes take place at Hogwarts, offering a look at the school decades before Harry Potter's time. This includes classrooms and the Great Hall.
• Nicolas Flamel: The creator of the Philosopher's Stone, a central figure in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, makes his first on-screen appearance.
• The Elder Wand: Grindelwald is seen wielding the Elder Wand throughout the film, which he famously stole as a young man.

• The screenplay for the film was written by J.K. Rowling, making it her second screenplay. (film)
• The appearance of a young Minerva McGonagall teaching at Hogwarts in 1927 has been a point of discussion among fans, as her established backstory on Pottermore would indicate she had not yet been born at this time. (Pottermore, film)
• The revelation of Credence as Aurelius Dumbledore is a major addition to the Dumbledore family history, not previously mentioned in any of the original seven books or supplementary materials. (film)