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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Play trailer 1:57 Poster for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them PG-13 2016 2h 7m Fantasy Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
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74% Tomatometer 343 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
The year is 1926, and Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) has just completed a global excursion to find and document an extraordinary array of magical creatures. Arriving in New York for a brief stopover, he might have come and gone without incident, were it not for a No-Maj (American for Muggle) named Jacob, a misplaced magical case, and the escape of some of Newt's fantastic beasts, which could spell trouble for both the wizarding and No-Maj worlds.
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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

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Critics Consensus

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them draws on Harry Potter's rich mythology to deliver a spinoff that dazzles with franchise-building magic all its own.

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Critics Reviews

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Karen Han CutPrintFilm Fantastic Beasts is a charm, excelling when it's allowed to be its own creature and falling short only when it's forced to pay its franchise dues. Rated: 7/10 Dec 8, 2017 Full Review Kristen Lopez Culturess Much of the film's rapid-fire entertainment value and slick filmmaking style do a lot towards covering up the weak narrative excuses. Nov 20, 2017 Full Review Alison Herman The Ringer Rowling imbues Fantastic Beasts from start to finish with a sense of discovery. Aug 11, 2017 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review Rowling throws her audience into the fray without developing personalities we grow to love. As a result, Fantastic Beasts feels underwhelming, if diverting for the duration. Rated: 2/4 Apr 9, 2022 Full Review David Gonzalez The Cinematic Reel Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them is an unexpected return to Rowlings wizarding world but with anything, the unexpected surprises are sometimes the best. Rated: 3/4 Feb 14, 2022 Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews ...a predominantly worthless endeavor that seems to serve no purpose other than to lay the groundwork for future installments. Rated: 1.5/4 Jan 18, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Boots McGee a fanciful journey, full of imaginative creature design and world building. THIS movie is great. commenting from 2024....they should have stopped here. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/24/24 Full Review Oliver J Consensus: ā€œWith dazzling visuals, captivating performances, and a fresh take on J.K. Rowling’s magical universe, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a spellbinding adventure that will delight fans both old and new.ā€ David Yates’ Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them takes audiences back to the magical world of J.K. Rowling with a fresh, enchanting twist. Set in 1920s New York, the film introduces us to Newt Scamander, a charming yet socially awkward magizoologist whose love for magical creatures drives both the story and the film’s heart. The movie excels in world-building, giving fans a new perspective on the Wizarding World while delivering stunning visual effects and a whimsical yet grounded sense of magic. Eddie Redmayne shines as Newt, balancing awkward humor with genuine heroism, while the supporting cast—including Katherine Waterston and Dan Fogler—adds depth and charm. Though the plot occasionally leans on familiar tropes, the film’s imagination, creature design, and sense of adventure keep it compelling from start to finish. Fantastic Beasts successfully balances nostalgia with originality, proving there’s more to explore beyond Hogwarts. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/12/25 Full Review Spencer B As a biologist, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them struck a personal chord, a film that reminds us there are no strange beasts, only ā€œblinkered peopleā€...and maybe a few Harry Potter fans who never gave this movie a fair shot. It’s easy to dismiss this movie because of its sequels and their needless detours away from the magical menagerie that made the first film so special. Yet beneath all that franchise baggage lies a heartfelt adventure filled with humor, warmth, and wonder. It channels the pulpy, swashbuckling energy of films like The Mummy (1999), where the spectacle is accented by genuine charm and character. The art deco set pieces are breathtaking, the performances memorable , (especially Alison Sudol’s endearing Queenie and Dan Fogler’s lovable Jacob) and, of course, the creatures themselves make the world feel alive in ways few fantasy films manage. While many fans naturally favor the Harry Potter saga, I find myself returning to Fantastic Beasts time and time again. I only wish the series had been allowed to stay in its own lane, a pulpy, creature-filled adventure about Newt and the incredible beings he discovers, rather than being forced to tie itself back to Hogwarts and Harry Potter’s lore. Because in the end, it wasn’t beauty that killed Fantastic Beasts, it was the Boy Who Lived. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/11/25 Full Review Matteo G I have re-watched this recently and I have re-evaluate it: when I fist watched it I was still thinking it would have been more similar to Harry Potter but after some distance from the saga I have appreciated this movie as a new entity. The story itself is actually quite interesting and there are funny moments that makes the experience more enjoiable. Only sad thing is that Jonny Deep is replaced in the last movie of the trilogy :( Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/05/25 Full Review Ry N Newt arrives to America in the 1920's with magical creatures he's collected in a misplace briefcase. It's fun watching them collect the escaped creatures in the world of Harry Potter, but Newt is a pretty boring character. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/10/25 Full Review CaptainBoulder T Movie was a little boring but it was ok Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/30/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

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Movie Info

Synopsis The year is 1926, and Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) has just completed a global excursion to find and document an extraordinary array of magical creatures. Arriving in New York for a brief stopover, he might have come and gone without incident, were it not for a No-Maj (American for Muggle) named Jacob, a misplaced magical case, and the escape of some of Newt's fantastic beasts, which could spell trouble for both the wizarding and No-Maj worlds.
Director
David Yates
Producer
David Heyman, J.K. Rowling, Steve Kloves, Lionel Wigram
Screenwriter
J.K. Rowling
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
Nvizible, Heyday Films, Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Pictures
Rating
PG-13 (Some Fantasy/Action Violence)
Genre
Fantasy, Adventure
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 18, 2016, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 8, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$234.0M
Runtime
2h 7m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital, Datasat, Dolby Atmos
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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