Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald by J. K. Rowling is the original screenplay of the second Fantastic Beasts film.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald: story and characters

J. K. Rowling offers readers a script-format journey through magic, loyalty, divided ideals and dangerous ambition, enriched by distinctive line illustrations and design work by MinaLima.

The plot begins after the events of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, when the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald has been captured in New York with the help of Newt Scamander. His imprisonment does not last. Once free, Grindelwald begins gathering followers, presenting his vision as seductive, necessary and noble while concealing the violence and domination at its heart.

Grindelwald’s true goal is not peace but power: the supremacy of wizards over non-magical people. His danger lies not only in magic, but in persuasion. He understands fear, resentment and the desire for certainty, and he uses those forces to pull others toward him. This gives the story a political and moral conflict that reaches beyond a simple duel between good and evil.

Newt Scamander, Dumbledore and Grindelwald’s followers

Albus Dumbledore turns again to Newt Scamander, his former student, asking for help in stopping Grindelwald’s plans. Newt is not a traditional hero who seeks glory or command. He is gentler, more hesitant and deeply connected to magical creatures, yet his compassion becomes part of what makes him valuable in a wizarding world growing more divided.

The story moves through New York, London, Paris and Hogwarts, widening the magical landscape while connecting the Fantastic Beasts era to the later Harry Potter world. Familiar names, institutions and histories appear alongside new mysteries, giving readers a sense of how earlier conflicts shaped the wizarding world that would come later.

As a hardcover screenplay, the book preserves the structure of the film script rather than reading like a traditional novel. Scene directions, dialogue and visual moments guide the story, while MinaLima’s line art and design details add atmosphere to the pages.

It presents the complete original screenplay of the second Fantastic Beasts film in hardcover form.

A printed screenplay with MinaLima line art

Reading a screenplay directs attention to the construction of a scene: who speaks, what happens and how one dramatic moment leads to the next. The format makes the book particularly interesting for readers returning to the film's confrontations and choices. MinaLima's line illustrations add a visual element to the printed edition without changing its identity as a script.

Set in 1927, the story continues the earlier Fantastic Beasts adventure and moves between several familiar magical locations. It suits readers already interested in Newt's world and the conflict around Grindelwald's ambitions. The emphasis falls on loyalty under pressure, persuasive power and the difficulty of recognising danger when it promises certainty.