J. Rowling: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Illustrations & design by MinaLima

The digital heart of the Wizarding World

www.pottermore.com

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay

Acknowledgments

Glossary of Film Terms

Cast and Crew

About the Author

About the Book Design

[Downloaded from eBookBB.com] A large, isolated, derelict chateau emerges from the darkness. We focus on a cobbled square outside the building, shrouded in mist, eerie, silent.

Five Aurors stand, wands aloft, tentative as they edge toward the chateau. A sudden explosion of pure white light sends them flying.

We whip around to find their bodies scattered, lying motionless at the entrance to a large parkland. A figure (Grindelwald) enters the frame, his back to the camera; ignoring the bodies, he stares out into the night sky as we pan up toward the moon.

MONTAGE:

We see various magical newspaper headlines from 1926 relating to Grindelwald’s attacks all over the world: GRINDELWALD STRIKES AGAIN IN EUROPE, HOGWARTS SCHOOL INCREASES SECURITY, ANTI-WIZARD FEELING ON THE RISE, WHERE IS GRINDELWALD?, IS ANYONE SAFE? He’s a serious threat to the magical community and he’s vanished. Moving photos detail destroyed buildings, fires, screaming victims. The articles come thick and fast—the worldwide hunt for Grindelwald continues. We push in on a final article displaying the Statue of Liberty.

TRANSITION TO:

A bright, clear New York day. Seagulls swoop overhead.

A large passenger ship glides past the Statue of Liberty. Passengers lean over the rails, looking excitedly toward the oncoming land.

We push in toward a figure sitting on a bench with his back to us—Newt Scamander, weather-beaten, wiry, wearing an old blue overcoat. Beside him rests a battered brown leather case. A catch on the case flicks open of its own accord. Newt swiftly bends down to close it.

Placing the case on his lap, Newt leans in, whispering:

NEWT

Dougal—you settle down now, please. It won’t be long.

AERIAL SHOT of New York.

Among bustling crowds, Newt walks down the gangplank of the ship as we push in toward his case.

CUSTOMS OFFICIAL (O.S.)

Next.

Newt stands at customs—a long row of desks by the shipyard, manned by serious-looking American officials. A customs official examines Newt’s very tattered British passport.

CUSTOMS OFFICIAL

British, huh?

NEWT

Yes.

CUSTOMS OFFICIAL

First trip to New York?

NEWT

Yes.

CUSTOMS OFFICIAL

(gesturing to Newt’s case)

Anything edible in there?

NEWT

(placing a hand over his breast pocket)

No.

CUSTOMS OFFICIAL

Livestock?

The catch on Newt’s case flicks open again. Newt looks down and hastily closes it.

NEWT

Must get that fixed—ahh, no.

CUSTOMS OFFICIAL

(suspicious)

Let me take a look.

Newt places the case on the desk between them and discreetly flicks a brass dial to MUGGLEWORTHY.

The customs official spins the case toward him and pops the catches, lifting the lid to reveal:

Pajamas, various maps, a journal, an alarm clock, a magnifying glass, and a Hufflepuff scarf. Finally satisfied, he closes the case.

CUSTOMS OFFICIAL

Welcome to New York.

NEWT

Thank you.

Newt gathers his passport and case.

CUSTOMS OFFICIAL

Next!

Newt exits through customs.

A long street of identical brownstone houses, one of which has been reduced to rubble. A gaggle of reporters and photographers mills around in the vague hope of something happening, but without much enthusiasm. One reporter is interviewing an excitable middle-aged man as they move through the rubble.

WITNESS

—and it was like a—like a wind or like a—like a ghost —but dark—and I saw its eyes—shinin’ white eyes—

REPORTER

(expressionless—notebook in his hand)

—a dark wind—with eyes . . .

WITNESS

—like a dark mass , and it dove down there, down underground—I swear to God . . . into the earth right in front of me.

CLOSE ON PERCIVAL GRAVES as he walks toward the destroyed building.

Graves: Smart clothing, very handsome, early middle-age, his demeanor differs from those around him. He is watchful, tightly coiled, an air of intense confidence.

PHOTOGRAPHER

(sotto voce)

Hey—did you get anything?

REPORTER

(sotto voce)

Dark wind, blah blah.

PHOTOGRAPHER

It’s some atmospheric hooey. Or electrical.

Graves moves up the steps of the now ruined building. He examines the destruction, curious, alert.

REPORTER