Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film)

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, or simply Fantastic Beasts, is an upcoming 2016 British fantasy drama film written by J. K. Rowling as her screenwriting debut and inspired by Rowling's book of the same name. A spin-off/prequel of the Harry Potter film series and directed by David Yates, the film will be the first installment of a trilogy. Rowling is also producing the film alongside David Heyman, Steve Kloves, and Lionel Wigram. The film stars Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, David Chester and Colin Farrell. Principal photography commenced on August 17, 2015, at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is scheduled to be released on November 18, 2016 worldwide in the 3D, IMAX 4K Laser format, and other large format theatres.

Contents 1 Synopsis 2 Cast 3 Production 3.1 Development 3.2 Pre-production 3.3 Filming 4 Release 4.1 Promotion 4.2 Marketing 5 Sequels 6 Accolades 7 References 8 External links

Synopsis
In 1926, Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) arrives at the Magical Congress of the United States of America for a meeting with an important official. At this meeting is a magically expanded briefcase, which houses a number of dangerous creatures and their habitats. When the creatures escape from the briefcase, it sends the American wizarding authorities after Newt, and threatens to strain even further the state of magical and non-magical relations.

The mistake has a devastating effect on both the Wizarding World and the Muggle World, which is already in a dangerous place, due to the threatening presence of the fanatical New Salem Philanthropic Society, an extremist organisation dedicated to the eradication of wizard-kind. Newt battles to correct the mistake, and the horrors of the resultant increase in violence, fear, and tension felt between magical and non-magical peoples.

Cast
Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander,[1] an eccentric, introverted wizard, the future author of the textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and an employee at the British Ministry of Magic. Katherine Waterston as Porpentina "Tina" Goldstein,[2] a down-to-earth and grounded witch and employee of the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA), who longs to fight for what's right. Forced to work in an office well below her skill level due to her standing up for the wrong person. Dan Fogler as Jacob Kowalski, a newly single No-Maj factory worker/aspiring baker who is exposed to the New York City magical community after he meets Newt.[3] Alison Sudol as Queenie Goldstein,[4][5] Porpentina's younger sister and roommate, described as a bombshell, and a free-spirited and big-hearted, and an accomplished Legilimens. Colin Farrell as Percival Graves,[6] a high-ranking Auror, confidante to the President of the American magical community. Set with the task of tracking down Newt. Samantha Morton as Mary Lou,[7] the narrow-minded No-Maj and sinister leader of the New Salem Philanthropic Society (the NSPS, or "The Second-Salemers"), an extremist group whose goals include exposing and killing wizards and witches. Ezra Miller as Credence,[8][9][10] Mary Lou's troubled adopted son. Described as mysterious. Reportedly plays a big role in the wizarding world canon. Carmen Ejogo as President Seraphina Picquery, the President of the Magical Congress of the United States of America. Faith Wood-Blagrove as Modesty,[11] a haunted young girl with the ability to see deep into people. Has an inner strength and stillness. Jon Voight[12] as Henry Shaw, Sr., a US senator who holds a rally picketed by the New Salem Philanthropic Society. Ron Perlman[13] as Gnarlack, a gangster who owns a speakeasy nightclub who comes across Newt. Jenn Murray as Chastity[8][14] Gemma Chan George Najsarek

Production
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Development

Warner Bros. Pictures announced in September 2013 that J. K. Rowling would be making her screenwriting debut with the first of a planned series of films based upon Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, part of an expanded creative partnership with Rowling. Rowling stated that the films, which will focus on the life of Newt Scamander, will neither be a prequel nor sequel to the Harry Potter series, though will be set in the same world as the book series. The first film will be set seventy years prior to the Potter films, in 1920s New York.[15] David Heyman, who produced all the Harry Potter films, will come back to work again with the series.[16]

Warner Bros. later confirmed that the story would be released as a trilogy.[17][18] Three months later, they announced shooting would take place at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in Hertfordshire.[19] After Alfonso Cuarón declined involvement,[20] Warner Bros. announced that David Yates would direct at least the first installment of a planned trilogy.[21] On November 23, 2014, producer Heyman reported that Rowling had completed the script and Yates would start filming in 2015.[22]

Heyman confirmed that Yates and Steve Kloves had been working with Rowling on the screenplay.[23] Kloves previously wrote the screenplays for seven of the eight Harry Potter films. Philippe Rousselot will be the director of photography.[24]

On April 7, 2016 it was officially announced that James Newton Howard will compose the score.[25]

On April 19, 2016 it was announced a batch of new characters would be created for the film, all of which would be creatively over-seen by Rowling. The first character to be seen was a leaked 'reptilian'-like creature.

Pre-production

In April 2015, Variety reported that Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne was the top choice for the lead role of Newt Scamander.[26] Matt Smith and Nicholas Hoult were also considered.[26][27] For the role of Queenie, a witch, the studio was deciding between Saoirse Ronan, Dakota Fanning, Lili Simmons, and Alison Sudol, while Kate Upton, Katherine Waterston, and Elizabeth Debicki were being considered for the role of Queenie's older sister, Tina.[28] Greg Silverman announced Redmayne had been cast as Newt Scamander, the Wizarding World's preeminent magizoologist, in June 2015.[1] After the studio announced they had officially cast Waterston to play the witch Tina,[2] Ezra Miller was reported to be in talks for the role of Credence, a magically powered person whom Scamander meets.[10]

In July 2015, Sudol was confirmed for the role of Queenie. This will be her feature film debut.[5] After the studio met with Josh Gad and Michael Cera,[10] comedian Dan Fogler was cast as Jacob, a non-magical person whom Newt befriends, and Miller was cast as Credence.[9] Cera passed on the Fantastic Beasts role to voice the animated The Lego Batman Movie.[29] In August, Colin Farrell was cast in the film to play a wizard named Graves with whom Scamander meets in New York.[6] Following thousands of auditions in an open casting call, a ten-year-old British girl named Faith Wood-Blagrove was chosen for the part of Modesty.[11] Later that month, Irish actress Jenn Murray signed on to star as Chastity,[14] and Samantha Morton was cast as Mary Lou.[7] In October 2015, The Hollywood Reporter has reported that Jon Voight, Gemma Chan, Carmen Ejogo and Ron Perlman were cast in unnamed roles.[12][13]

Filming

Principal photography on the film commenced on August 17, 2015, at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden,[7][8][30][31] scenes were also shot in London.[32] On October 20, filming began in Liverpool at the St George's Hall, where the crew was covering the location with fake snow and placing classic cars on the road to transform the city into 1920s New York.[33] Filming concluded on January 28, 2016.

Release
The film will be released on November 18, 2016, in 3D and the new IMAX 4K Laser system.[1][34]

Promotion

The video game Lego Dimensions is scheduled to release a "story pack" based on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, containing a six-level campaign that adapts the events of the film. Other expansion packs based on the film are set to be released in the following months.

Marketing

On December 10, 2015, it was announced that an "announcement trailer" would be released five days later, on December 15.[35] Along with the one-minute trailer, a teaser poster was released.[36][37]

Rowling has also released four pieces of writing exclusively as an introduction to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, titled History of Magic in North America.[38][39] Rowling's discussion of elements of Native American culture including the Navajo skinwalkers in her first chapter drew extreme criticism from some Native Americans including the blogger Adrienne Keene, who accused her of cultural insensitivity and cultural appropriation, and accusations that she has no understanding of North American history or politics.[40][41][42]

On April 10, 2016, the first "teaser trailer" was released during the MTV Movie Awards.[43]

On April 26, 2016, it was announced that script of the film will be released in the form of a book on November 19.[44]

More visual publicity for the film was released at CineEurope and VidCon on June 23.

Sequels
In October 2014, the studio announced the film will be the start of a trilogy. The second installment is set to be released on November 16, 2018, followed by the third installment on November 20, 2020.[45][46] David Yates confirmed that Rowling had written the screenplay for the second film and had gotten ideas for the third.[47]

Accolades
Award

Category

Nominee

Result

Ref.

Teen Choice Awards Choice AnTEENcipated Movie Pending [48]