Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a fantastic movie with fantastic beasts, fantastic acting, fantastic visuals, and we can keep going with it. You will notice soon enough that there’s no other word to describe it.
The film was directed by David Yates, who also directed the final four Harry Potter movies. In case you are not familiar with the background of the film, you will love the fact that this story is connected with our favorite magical world.
Adapted from the best-seller by J. K. Rowling, the film doesn’t really disappoint as many expected, just like the book. However, indeed, it may not be everyone’s taste, even when the Harry Potter franchise is.
If you haven’t watched it yet, we can tell you it is worth your time, and this isn’t only backup by our opinion and experience of the film. Numbers and views can also show how much people loved it.
Thus, let’s focus on them and help you make a decision based on facts: Is it good or not?
Book Adaptation: Where It Comes From
As mentioned before, the film is an actual adaptation of the book with the same name released in 2001 by J. K. Rowling.
More than a novel, it is considered a guide book that wasn’t even released under the name of the British author but rather using the pen name “Newt Scamander.”
The book is focused on the magical creatures in the Harry Potter Universe, and the first version released was entirely illustrated by Rowling herself.
The concept and purpose behind this book are to have a copy of the textbook with the same name mentioned in the first novel of the saga: “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.”
This is why you will notice the book as some handwritten notes that are supposed to be written by Harry, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger.
These notes tend to describe the beasts they have encountered, and some jokes refer to their experiences.
The entire book describes 85 magical creatures around the world, and the textbook is supposed to be a requirement for first-year students in Hogwarts.
It is a fun concept that Rowling decided to go for in order to “write a book for Muggles.”
Now, the reason why the book wasn’t published under Rowling’s name is that Newt Scamander is a fictional writer, but he doesn’t appear in the book for the first series. Instead, you can have a glimpse at it during “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” book.
How Does This Adapt to the Film? – Fantastic Beasts’ Plot
As you can guess, the book doesn’t really have a story. Instead, it meets its purpose of being a guidebook with all the descriptions of the fantastic beasts.
However, this is the fun behind the plot and background of the film from 2016.
Following the success of the Harry Potter films, J. K. Rowling went up and bet for a screenwriting debut with this new part of the franchise.
This means she wrote the entire plot, screenplay, and story behind the film.
It was only in 2015 when Rowling released the first official synopsis on December 11. But before that, she revealed in 2016 that she was writing a synopsis and story for Newt Scamander, the fictional writer.
This takes us to the film’s plot that follows our fictional writer and amazing author of the Magizoology book (the one that describes the beasts).
Newt Scamander is a young British activist wizard who arrives in New York in the mid-1920s with a mysterious leather suitcase that houses magical creatures.
Newt’s valuable suitcase is lost amid a fragile equilibrium of secrecy and increasing disasters attributed to Gellert Grindelwald.
To make matters worse, several creatures escape it. Senior Auror Percival Graves soon notices this unforeseen problem and targets Newt against the backdrop of an invisible and unpredictable menace, which still wreaks havoc along 5th Avenue.
Is there an ulterior motive behind Graves’ intentions? What will happen to the other fantastic beasts still at large?
Newt may have completed his research for his Magizoology book, but a new adventure with dangerous magical creatures and menaces lurking is waiting for him in the city.
Production Team & Cast Involved
If there is something to appreciate in this film beyond the simple connection with Harry Potter is the cast that took part in it.
However, before that, let’s give respect to the production team.
Again and as we mentioned previously, David Yates was the director of the film while J. K. Rowling handled the entire writing.
The writer handled the production and familiar faces like David Heyman, who also took part in the Harry Potter films.
Others like Steve Kloves and Lionel Wigram were also included as producers.
Meanwhile, the cinematography was in the hands of Philippe Rousselot, and the edition went to Mark Day. The music was in charge of James Newton Howards, and the production companies were Warner Bros. Pictures and Heyday Films.
The first company also handles the distribution of the film.
The first announcement of the film and its production took place in 2013, a year prior to the first sneak peek for the idea of the story.
It was just two years after the release of the last part of the Harry Potter saga. However, filming actually started on August 17, 2015, and was completed in January 2016.
Finally, for the cast, we have quite the team you might recognize from other films.
Our first mention needs to be Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander. This actor has won several awards over the years, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and a Golden Globe.
Other actors and actresses involved:
- Katherine Waterston as Tina.
- Dan Fogler as Jacob Kowalski.
- Alison Sudol as Queenie Goldstein.
- Samantha Morton as Mary Lou Barebone.
- Ezra Miller as Credence Barebone.
- Jon Voight as Henry Shaw Sr.
- Carmen Ejogo as Seraphina Picquery.
- Colin Farrell as Percival Graves.
And many more like Ron Perlman, Ronan Raftery, and other members of the secondary cast.
Reception: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Earnings
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them performed quite well during its release when it comes to numbers.
As a movie following the Harry Potter franchise and directly connected, fans were excited about having a new perspective of how things would develop this time in an era prior to what we know as the main events in this world.
When it comes to money, the film had a budget set at $175 million approximately. Compared to the grossing, that’s pretty much nothing.
It grossed $234 million in the United States and Canada in total, and $580 million were added to the worldwide grossing thanks to other countries. This takes us to the final $814 million for the box office.
The film’s net profit was set at $164 million after considering expenses, marketing, and other costs related to the film.
The most popular countries where people loved it included the United Kingdom and Ireland. The United States and Canada continued with a great reception during its release and the following weeks. Still, it was natural for the previous countries to dominate in this a bit more.
What about salaries? Did the actors and actresses earn a lot?
Well, it is hard to believe, but we will owe you this information since no details about their salaries were disclosed.
Critical Response: What People Think About the Film
When we focus on sites like Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, it can be questionable for some.
With over 300 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes gives the film 74% out of 100%, while Metacritic scored it 66/100.
Most of the reviews were positive, but people agreed it kind of fell short compared to the Harry Potter saga, or maybe it was just the new story introduced.
However, it is valid to say people loved it and, although the general response is based on these sites, they aren’t everything.
The worldwide response is much more positive, and IMDb with a 7,3/10 represents a bit better what people thought about the film.
The acting and development of the story were considered the strongest parts of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which is where we can strongly agree.
5 Facts You Can’t-Miss About Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
- The main actors and actresses, Eddie, Katherine, and Alison, got “wand elbow” due to the film. What is this? Simply having a sore elbow after continuous wand movement.
- There’s a reference to the Salem Witch Trials.
- Although the story is set in New York, it was filmed in the UK.
- J. K. Rowling invented a new word, “Choranaptyxic,” for the film alone. It refers to the creature that can shrink or grow to fit in any space.
- Newt Scamander is Hufflepuffs, which means he is from what fans consider the most neglected Hogwarts house in the original series from the wizarding world.
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