Newt Scamander is the central character in the Fantastic Beasts film series created by J.K. Rowling.
Newt is a magizoologist, meaning a specialist in magical creatures. The character is presented as the author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a fictional textbook that appears within the Harry Potter universe. Rowling later wrote the screenplay for the 2016 film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which expanded the setting beyond Harry’s school years.
The films begin in New York in 1926, decades before Harry Potter attends Hogwarts. Newt becomes involved with escaped magical creatures and a wider conflict involving the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald. The series therefore explores earlier wizarding history while introducing new locations and characters.
Newt should not be confused with the book’s real-world credited author. In the fictional framing, Newt wrote the textbook; outside the story, the companion book was published under the name J.K. Rowling. Eddie Redmayne played Newt in the films.