What was J.K. Rowling’s first published screenplay for the Wizarding World?

J.K. Rowling’s first published screenplay for the Wizarding World was Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

The screenplay accompanied the 2016 film of the same name and expanded the fictional universe beyond Harry Potter’s school years. Its protagonist is Newt Scamander, a magizoologist who arrives in 1920s New York with a suitcase full of magical creatures.

The title comes from a Hogwarts textbook attributed to Newt Scamander. Rowling had previously published a charity companion book called Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in 2001, but that earlier work was presented as a school textbook rather than as a film screenplay.

The film began a planned series of prequel stories. Eddie Redmayne played Newt, while David Yates directed the movie. The screenplay’s publication marked Rowling’s direct move into writing film scripts.