Fantastic Beasts Movie vs. Screenplay: how do they compare?

Hey everyone! So today I’ll be reviewing and comparing the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (FBAWTFT) movie to its screenplay! I want to quickly mention that the Fantastic Beasts screenplay was kindly sent to me from Hachette for a review! All opinions stated are my own. Read at your own risk, this post may or may not contain spoilers!

Firstly, for those that have no idea what I’m talking about, whaaaaaaat? Where have you been since JKR announced that she was going to bless us with more Wizarding World goodness? Well, if you seriously haven’t you should watch the trailer! You don’t have to click away, just scroll down a little!

Okay, now that is done and many of us are on the same page, let’s get down to comparing the movie to its screenplay! I have included general questions of the movie/screenplay like I would in a normal review.

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• What is Fantastic Beasts all about?
  Fantastic Beasts follows Newt Scamander who has arrived in America with a suitcase filled with animals from everywhere. As he is roaming the streets of New York, he realises that his Niffler is missing, and goes on a frenzy to find it. As he finds his Niffler, soon after, more animals escape, wreaking havoc on New York, threatening to expose the wizarding community, and starting a war.
• Who are the characters, and who plays them?
  Newt Scamander is played by Eddie Redmayne 
  Tina Goldstein is played by Katherine Waterston
  Queenie Goldstein is played by Alison Sudol
  Jacob Kowalski is played by Dan Fogler 
  Credence Barebone is played by Ezra Miller
  Mary Lou Barebone is played by Samantha Morton 
  Henry Shaw Jr is played by Jon Voight 
  Seraphina Picquery is played by Carmen Ejogo,
  and
  Percival Graves is played by Colin Farrell 
• Do any HP stars make an appearance in this movie/screenplay? 
  As this is set in 1920’s New York, none of our dearly beloved stars in this movie. In saying that, young Dumbledore may make an appearance in the next film!
• Do you think I’ll enjoy it?
  If you have enjoyed any of the Harry Potter movies or books, you’ll definitely enjoy this!
• Did you enjoy it? 
  The roaring 20’s is my favourite era to read about, with one of my favourite books, The Great Gatsby being set in that time period. Also, it’s Harry Potter related, so what is there not to love?
• Is it worthy of my time and money?
  Time = money, so if you’ve got time to spend watching Fantastic Beasts, then it’s worth every penny you’ve got. Go along, spend those pennies! I know you want to!
• What will I gain out of it?
  You’ll definitely have a greater appreciation of the magical creatures and a better understanding how the past has shaped the present. Personally, I feel like my HP knowledge has increased!
• Is the screenplay different to the movie?
  The screenplay is not very different to the movie, as a screenplay is a transcript of the movie. In saying that, I did notice that the actors had an extra line here of there, not too many changes…
• If it’s not very different, why should I spend my money on the screenplay or spend my money watching the movie?
  For me, the screenplay definitely allowed me to pick up on details that I missed whilst watching the movie, and allowed me to make sense of things that had happened. The movie, allows the screenplay to come to life in front of your eyes and transforms the screenplay into a piece of magic (not trying to say that the screenplay isn’t magic, because it truly is). I personally do believe that the screenplay and movie go hand in hand, and that you’ll get more out of it.
• Should I read the screenplay before or after the movie? 
  For me, I read the screenplay after watching the movie, which allowed me to understand scenes that I couldn’t fully comprehend, so that’s that. If you read the screenplay before watching the movie, you will have a better understanding, and will understand what’s going on. So really, it’s up to you, any way is fine. It is a screenplay, and not a full blown out novel.
• Is it better than Harry Potter and the Cursed Child?
  100% yes yes yes yes yes!!! Fantastic Beasts did not have any annoying characters or relationships like the Cursed Child did (Bellatrix and you know what), and unlike Cursed Child, it was written purely by JKR (sorry Jack Thorne and co)! I loved Newt and how he was this awkward and lovable character, but I didn’t love Tina at first. She rubbed me off in the wrong way, but as the movie/screenplay progressed, I really found a liking for Tina. Queenie and Jacob’s relationship has got me bitter, but the ending gives me hope!
• Does is still capture the essence of the Wizarding World?
  Yes, it is still so magical like the original movies. A must for all Harry Potter fans!

Until next time,
– Anna x.

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