Screenplay: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (screenplay)

Overview
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them follows magizoologist Newt Scamander as he arrives in 1920s New York carrying a suitcase full of magical creatures. A chance mix-up releases several of those creatures into the city, setting off a chain of events that draws Newt into a tense conflict between the hidden wizarding community, the governing MACUSA, and rising forces of dark magic. The story combines whimsical encounters with creatures and heartfelt character moments with a darker undercurrent that hints at broader threats to the magical world.
The screenplay balances adventurous set pieces with quieter scenes of compassion, using Newt's relationship with beasts as a lens to examine prejudice, fear, and the responsibilities of those who know magic. Humor and wonder sit alongside tragedy and political anxiety, producing a tale that introduces new characters and expands a familiar magical universe.

Setting and Tone
The narrative unfolds in 1920s New York, a bustling metropolis where secretive magical institutions coexist uneasily with non-magical communities known as No-Majs. The era's social tensions and postwar anxieties are mirrored in the wizarding community's own fears about exposure and extremism. The film's atmosphere shifts fluidly between lighthearted curiosity , laboratory-like glimpses into Newt's care for creatures , and a mounting sense of dread as mysterious destructive forces appear.
Visual imagination and period detail are prominent, and the screenplay leans into contrasts: cozy interiors and cramped underground meeting rooms versus wide, chaotic streets where magic and ordinary life collide. That tonal range allows both comic relief and more serious reflections on control, secrecy, and compassion.

Main Characters
Newt Scamander is an introverted, obsessively caring magizoologist whose deep empathy for creatures drives his decisions. He is paired with Tina Goldstein, a dedicated former Auror turned MACUSA investigator, who wrestles with institutional loyalty and moral clarity. Her sister, Queenie, offers warmth and emotional intelligence that softens the narrative's edges, while Jacob Kowalski, a good-natured No-Maj and aspiring baker, provides comic innocence and an outsider's marvel at magic.
Opposition comes in the form of a growing dark phenomenon manifested as an Obscurus and embodied in a troubled young man, Credence Barebone, whose repression and abuse make him volatile and dangerous. Percival Graves, a high-ranking MACUSA official, positions himself as the arbiter of security but hides ulterior motives that propel the plot toward a larger reveal and deeper conspiracies.

Plot Summary
When Newt's case of magical creatures is accidentally opened, several animals escape into the city, prompting frantic recovery efforts and a series of chaotic encounters. Jacob becomes an unlikely ally after an accidental meeting with Newt, drawing both compassion and peril as he is exposed to the magical world. Newt's gentle stewardship of the beasts is contrasted with the MACUSA's fear-driven attempts to contain any threat to secrecy.
As creatures are blamed for violent incidents, attention turns to Credence, whose suppressed emotions and possible connection to the Obscurus make him a focal point for the city's fear. Percival Graves leads an investigation that grows increasingly severe, exploiting public panic and maneuvering politically. Newt, Tina, and their allies attempt to protect Credence and the creatures while uncovering the true nature of the forces manipulating events.
The climax reveals betrayal and a startling identity hidden within the halls of power, redirecting the conflict toward a personal confrontation that also exposes fractures in the magical community. The resolution rescues some relationships and leaves others irrevocably changed, even as it opens the door to further, darker developments beyond the immediate showdown.

Themes and Legacy
Compassion for the marginalized , whether human or beast , is central, informing Newt's actions and challenging institutions that prefer control over care. The screenplay interrogates secrecy, persecution, and the ways fear can be weaponized by those seeking power. It also celebrates curiosity, friendship, and the courage to protect the vulnerable.
By introducing new characters, creatures, and geopolitical elements of the wizarding world, the story establishes a broader canvas and sets up ongoing conflicts that promise to expand the saga. It ends with hope tempered by foreboding, leaving a sense that the magical community's troubles have only just begun.