First there were the Harry Potter books. Then there were the films. This year, there was the theatre play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. And now there is the first in a new film series, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Is it Harry Potter? Yes and no.
YES: There are wizards but they are in 1926 in the U.S.A., not today in the U.K.
NO: There isn't Harry, or Ron or Hermione, or the actors who played them.
But there are lots of new and interesting characters to discover. There are lots of references to things you'll recognise, like some dark wizards and fantastic beasts that Harry met. The Harry Potter films were adapted from J.K. Rowling's books by other writers. This time, J.K. Rowling wrote the scripts. (There are going to be five films.)
The Story
Newt Scamander is an English Magizoologist — a specialist in magical creatures. He arrives in the U.S.A., where the wizarding world is very different from Europe. Wizards are completely separate from non-magical people. (They are called No-Maj in America, Muggles in Britain.) Wizards can't marry or be friends with No- Maj people. Newt has lots of fantastic beasts in his suitcase.
A No-Maj, Jacob Kowalski, accidentally opens the case and some beasts escape. Newt is interrogated by the wizarding police. Will this accident cause a major conflict with the No-Maj community? Newt and Jacob have to work with sisters Tina and Queenie to find the creatures before there is a disaster.
Meet Some Characters
Meet Some Fantastic Beasts
