J.K. Rowling is credited as the screenwriter of the 2016 film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
The film marked Rowling’s screenwriting debut. It was inspired by the fictional Hogwarts textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a title that first appeared in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The film expands that small in-universe book into an original story rather than adapting a full Harry Potter novel.
Set in 1926, the movie follows British magizoologist Newt Scamander in New York City. Eddie Redmayne plays Newt, while David Yates directed the film. Warner Bros. released it in November 2016, beginning a film series connected to the wider wizarding world.
A common mix-up is treating the film as a direct adaptation of the textbook. The textbook is presented as a reference work about magical creatures, whereas the movie uses Newt and the creatures as the foundation for a new period adventure.