J. Rowling - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

ABERNATHY

(agitated with the lack of information)

Have you been tracking them Second Salemers again?

TINA

Of course not, sir.

Graves comes around the corner. Abernathy is immediately cowed.

ABERNATHY

Afternoon, Mr. Graves, sir!

GRAVES

Afternoon, ah—Abernathy.

Tina steps forward to formally address Graves.

TINA

(speaking quickly, eager to have her case heard)

Mr. Graves, sir, this is Mr. Scamander—he has a crazy creature in that case and it got out and caused mayhem in a bank, sir.

GRAVES

Let’s see the little guy.

Tina breathes a sigh of relief: Finally someone is listening to her. Newt tries to speak up—he looks more panicky than might seem warranted by a Niffler—but Graves dismisses him.

Tina theatrically places the case onto a table and throws open the lid. She looks aghast at the contents.

ANGLE ON THE CASE CONTENTS—it is full of pastries.

Newt approaches, nervous. On seeing the contents, he looks horrified. Graves looks confused, but smirks slightly—another one of Tina’s mistakes.

GRAVES

Tina . . .

Graves walks away. Newt and Tina stare at each other.

Jacob marches along the overcast street, case in hand, past pushcarts, shabby little shops, and tenement buildings. He continually throws nervous glances over his shoulder.

A tiny, dirty room, the furnishings sparse and shabby.

CLOSE ON THE CASE as Jacob throws it down onto his bed. He looks up at a portrait of his grandmother, which hangs on the wall.

JACOB

I’m sorry, Grandma.

Jacob sits down at his desk, hanging his head in his hands, downcast, tired. Behind him, one of the catches on the case flies open. Jacob turns . . .

He sits down on the bed and examines the case. The second catch now flicks open of its own accord, and the case begins to shake, emitting aggressive animalistic sounds. Jacob slowly backs away.

Tentatively, he leans forward . . . Suddenly the lid flies open and out bursts a Murtlap—a rat-like creature with an anemone-style growth on its back. Jacob grapples with it, holding it tightly in both hands as it struggles.

We whip back to the case, which flies open once again as an invisible being shoots out, crashing into the ceiling before smashing through the window.

The Murtlap lunges forward, biting Jacob on the neck, sending him crashing through furniture and tumbling to the floor.

The room shakes heavily, and the wall holding the picture of Jacob’s grandma begins to crack before exploding, as more creatures escape off-screen.

A dingy wooden church with darkened windows and a high mezzanine balcony. Modesty is playing a solitary variation of hopscotch, skipping in and out of a chalked grid.

MODESTY

As she sings we see the church is full of group paraphernalia—leaflets advertising Mary Lou’s campaign, and a large version of the group’s anti-witchcraft banner.

A pigeon coos from a high-up window. Credence steps forward, staring up toward it before mechanically clapping his hands. The pigeon flies away.

We follow Chastity as she moves through the church and opens the large double doors onto the street.

Chastity emerges from the church and rings a large dinner bell.

Modesty continues playing hopscotch. Credence pauses, looking past her and out toward the door.

MODESTY

Young children stream into the church.

TIME CUT:

Brown soup is being ladled out to the children, who jostle each other to get near the front of the line. Mary Lou, wearing an apron and looking on approvingly, squeezes through the little crowd.

MARY LOU

Collect your leaflets before you get food, children.

Several of the children turn toward Chastity, who waits primly, handing out campaign leaflets.

TIME CUT:

Mary Lou and Credence ladle out soup, Credence looking intently into every face.

A boy with a birthmark on his face reaches the front of the line. Credence stops his work and stares at him. Mary Lou reaches out to touch the boy’s face.

BOY

Is it a witch’s mark, ma’am?

MARY LOU

No. He’s okay.

The boy takes his soup and leaves. Credence stares after him as they continue to serve.

CLOSE ON A BILLYWIG—a small blue creature with helicopter-like wings on its head—flying high above the street.

Tina and Newt walk along the street, Tina carrying the case.

TINA

(on the verge of tears)

I can’t believe you didn’t Obliviate that man! If there’s an inquiry, I’m finished!

NEWT

So why would you be finished? I’m the one that’s—

TINA

I’m not supposed to go near the Second Salemers!

The Billywig zooms over their heads. Newt spins, horrified, watching it.

TINA

What was that?

NEWT

Er—moth, I think. Big moth.

Tina finds this explanation dubious. They round a corner to find a crowd gathered in front of a crumbling building. People are shouting, others are hurriedly evacuating the building. A policeman is standing at the center of the crowd, being harassed by disgruntled tenement dwellers.