FAQ

Yes and no. The movie is based on an original screenplay by British author J.K. Rowling, and is set in the same universe as her Harry Potter book and film series, altogether known as the Wizarding World. However, Rowling did publish a book in 2001 with the same title of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. It is a fictitious text book published under the name Newt Scamander, who is the main character of this film. Although the book shares the same title, main character, and details of the beasts shown in the film, the film is not an adaptation of the book but more of an basis for its original story. The film's credits do not present it as "Based on the book by J.K. Rowling", only as "Written by J.K. Rowling", which indicates that it is officially not an adaptation of the 2001 book.