Poster © Warner Bros. Pictures. Shown at reduced size for review and commentary.
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GenreAdventure, Family & Fantasy
RatedPG-13
Runtime2 hr 12 mins
ReleasedNovember 18, 2016
StreamingSee Where to Watch
DirectorDavid Yates
StarringEddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler
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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
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| 🎫Get Tickets | ✎Edit History |
| iIMDb Profile | %Rotten Tomatoes |
| WWikipedia | LLetterboxd |
| TTMDB | +Add to Top 8 |
| Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them's Details | |
| Genre | Adventure, Family & Fantasy |
| Rated | PG-13 |
| Released | 11/10/2016 (Alice Tully Hall); 11/18/2016 (United Kingdom and United States) |
| Streaming | See Where to Watch on this page. |
| Running Time | 2 hr 12 mins |
| Budget | $175–200M (reported) |
| Box Office | Updated daily from Box Office Mojo. See the numbers below. |
| Country | United Kingdom, United States |
| Language | English |
| Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them's Interests | |
| General | Suitcases, Nifflers, pastries, 1920s Manhattan, magical zoos, wands. |
| Music | James Newton Howard, with a quick nod to the classic Harry Potter theme. |
| Movies | The 2001 original, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Same world, decades later. |
| Television | Animal Planet. Newt would host the best show on it. |
| Heroes | Jacob Kowalski. The most lovable No-Maj in history. |
| Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them's Crew | |
| Director | David Yates |
| Writers | J. K. Rowling |
| Producers | David Heyman, J. K. Rowling, Steve Kloves, Lionel Wigram |
| Cinematography | Philippe Rousselot |
| Music | James Newton Howard |
| Edited By | Mark Day |
| Production | Warner Bros. Pictures, Heyday Films |
| Distributed By | Warner Bros. Pictures |
The title promises beasts, and every time the beasts get going, a much gloomier Harry Potter prequel barges in and asks for the room. Eddie Redmayne plays Newt like a man apologizing to the furniture, which is charming for about an hour. The Niffler, a tiny platypus thing that steals anything shiny, is the best character by a mile. Dan Fogler’s Jacob, a regular guy who just wants to open a bakery, is the heart of the whole movie, and his first trip inside the suitcase is pure wonder. Then the Credence storyline takes over. It’s dark and joyless, it eats the last act, and it’s clearly there to set up sequels. It made $816 million worldwide, and audiences liked it more than critics did. A 5.6 because the creature half is a blast and the wizard politics half is a history lecture with wands. $28 says you start calling the friend who always steals your fries a Niffler.
What works: The Niffler, Dan Fogler’s warm and funny Jacob, and the scene where the suitcase opens up into a whole magical zoo.
What doesn’t: The grim Credence plot takes over the last act and turns a creature adventure into a setup for sequels.
Who it’s for: Harry Potter fans who want more of the wizarding world, and kids who will love the creatures and zone out during the politics.
Spoilers
Credence is the Obscurial causing the chaos, and Graves turns out to be the dark wizard Grindelwald in disguise. Jacob has his memory wiped in a magic rain, but he still opens his bakery, and Queenie walks in at the end with a smile.
New York, 1926. Shy British wizard Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) arrives with a battered suitcase that is secretly a whole zoo of magical creatures. When a sneaky Niffler escapes, Newt accidentally swaps cases with Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler), a cannery worker who dreams of opening a bakery, and some creatures end up loose in the city. Demoted magical investigator Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston) hauls Newt in, her mind-reading sister Queenie (Alison Sudol) takes a shine to Jacob, and top official Percival Graves (Colin Farrell) wants answers. David Yates directs. One hundred thirty-three minutes, mind the Niffler.
Anyone who can keep a Niffler away from shiny things. Good luck.
Newt Scamander An introverted British wizardphoto: VeeTee776, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Tina Goldstein A groundedphoto: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Jacob Kowalski A genial Muggle cannery worker and aspiring bphoto: DavidPMaynard, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Queenie Goldstein Tina's younger sister and roommate. Descriphoto: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Credence Barebone A secret Obscurial wizard and Mary Lou's tphoto: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Mary Lou Barebone A narrow-minded No-Maj and the sinister lephoto: PhilipRomano, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Henry Shaw Snr A newspaper owner and the father of U.S. Senaphoto: Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jonathan Estrada-Eguizabal, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
| Eddie Redmayne | Newt Scamander An introverted British wizard |
| Katherine Waterston | Tina Goldstein A grounded |
| Dan Fogler | Jacob Kowalski A genial Muggle cannery worker and aspiring b |
| Alison Sudol | Queenie Goldstein Tina's younger sister and roommate. Descri |
| Samantha Morton | Mary Lou Barebone A narrow-minded No-Maj and the sinister le |
| Ezra Miller | Credence Barebone A secret Obscurial wizard and Mary Lou's t |
| Jon Voight | Henry Shaw Snr A newspaper owner and the father of U.S. Sena |
| Carmen Ejogo | Seraphina Picquery The President of MACUSA |
| Colin Farrell | Percival Graves A high-ranking auror and Director of Magical |
| Ron Perlman | the voice of Gnarlak A goblin gangster |
| Faith Wood-Blagrove | Modesty Barebone A haunted young girl |
| Ronan Raftery | Langdon Shaw The younger of Henry Shaw Snr's sons |
| Josh Cowdery | Henry Shaw Jnr The elder of Henry Shaw Snr's sons |
| Kevin Guthrie | Abernathy Tina and Queenie's MACUSA supervisor |
| Jenn Murray | Chastity Barebone The middle of Mary Lou's adopted children |
| Gemma Chan | Madam Ya Zhou The Chinese ambassador witch to MACUSA |
| Johnny Depp | Gellert Grindelwald An infamous |
- (cur | prev) 14:30, 17 October 2026 DataBot +520 Numbers refreshed: Worldwide box office $816M; Domestic box office $234M; Opening weekend $74.4M; Profit / loss (est.) +$126.8M; Rotten Tomatoes 74%; CinemaScore A; box office chart updated; Rotten Tomatoes critics 74% (347 reviews); Metacritic 66 / 100; PostTrak audience 90% positive; CinemaScore A; IMDb users 7.2 / 10 (546,819 votes); movie.guru score 7.4.
- (cur | prev) 12:00, 17 October 2026 DataBot +2,000 Profile created from Wikipedia and Box Office Mojo: cast, crew, release dates, budget, official trailer.