To Kenzie
Foreword
by David Yates
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
The Original Screenplay
Glossary of Film Terms
Cast & Crew
About the Author
About the Book Design
I’ve worked with many writers, but no one quite as special as Jo. She knows her characters and her universe inside out, she’s one of the most dynamic thinkers I’ve ever met, and for someone who has enjoyed so much success she is incredibly grounded. Her storytelling is singular, yet she approaches the filmmaking process as producer and screenwriter with a genuinely collaborative spirit.
I first read Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald in the spring of 2016, a full year and two months before we began shooting the film. The script felt layered, emotional, and that most precious of things: itself. For a filmmaker it offered many gifts and a huge sandpit in which to play. Whether the thrill of recreating Paris in the late 1920s, wrangling a new collection of wonderful beasts, or exploring an emotional, multi-stranded story with compelling characters and themes, each day of prep and production was always exciting as well as fun.
Above all, however, it was the characters that captured and beguiled me on that first read; they are timeless, enchanting, intriguing. All of them are being tested to their core, navigating a world that is becoming ever more complex and dangerous—a world that, however heightened and magical, in some ways echoes our own across time.
David Yates
September 9, 2018
SCENE 1
EXT. NEW YORK, AMERICAN MINISTRY OF MAGIC—1927—NIGHT
AERIAL SHOT of New York and MACUSA building.
SCENE 2
INT. MACUSA BASEMENT, BARE, BLACK-WALLED ROOM—NIGHT
The long-haired, bearded GRINDELWALD sits motionless, magically fixed to a chair. The air shimmers, charged with spells.
ABERNATHY peers in at GRINDELWALD from the corridor.
A baby Chupacabra—part lizard, part homunculus, a blood-sucking creature of the Americas—is chained to GRINDELWALD’S chair.
SCENE 3
INT. MACUSA, CORRIDOR BETWEEN CELLS—SHORTLY AFTER—NIGHT
PRESIDENT SERAPHINA PICQUERY and RUDOLPH SPIELMAN walk at pace toward an ominous-looking door past endless pairs of guards.
SPIELMAN
(Germanic)
. . . you’ll be glad to be rid of him, I expect.
PICQUERY
We’d be more than happy to keep him here in custody.
SPIELMAN
Six months are enough. It’s time for him to answer for his crimes in Europe.
As they reach the door, ABERNATHY turns and acknowledges them.
ABERNATHY
President Picquery, Mr. Spielman, sir. Prisoner is secured and ready to travel.
SPIELMAN and PICQUERY peer into the cell at GRINDELWALD.
SPIELMAN
You’ve thrown everything at him, I see.
PICQUERY
It was necessary. He’s extremely powerful. We’ve had to change his guard three times—he’s very . . . persuasive. So we removed his tongue.
SCENE 4
INT. MACUSA CELLS—NIGHT
Cells resembling cages rise in tiers. Prisoners chant and bang against the bars as the bound GRINDELWALD is transported upstairs, suspended magically in midair.
PRISONERS
Grindelwald! Grindelwald!
SCENE 5
EXT. MACUSA ROOFTOP—MINUTES LATER—NIGHT
A hearse-like black carriage, drawn by eight Thestrals, waits. AURORS 1 & 2 climb into the driver’s seat, the rest force GRINDELWALD inside.
SPIELMAN
The wizarding community worldwide owes you a great debt, Madam President.
PICQUERY
Do not underestimate him.
ABERNATHY approaches them.
ABERNATHY
Mr. Spielman, we found his wand hidden away.
He hands over a black rectangular box.
PICQUERY
Abernathy?
ABERNATHY
And we found this.
He holds a vial of some glowing gold substance in the palm of his hand. SPIELMAN reaches for the vial, which hangs on a chain, and after a moment of hesitation, ABERNATHY releases it.
Inside the carriage, GRINDELWALD raises his eyes to the roof as the vial is passed to SPIELMAN.
SPIELMAN climbs into the carriage. AUROR 1 driving, AUROR 2 beside him. The door closes. A series of padlocks emerges from the carriage doors. An ominous drumroll of clicks as padlocks fasten themselves in place.
AUROR 1
Yah!
The Thestrals take off.
The carriage plummets, then soars away through torrential rain. More AURORS follow on broomsticks.
A beat.
ABERNATHY steps forward, holding the Elder Wand. He looks up at the carriage, growing ever smaller. He Disapparates.
CUT TO:
SCENE 6
EXT. THESTRAL-DRAWN CARRIAGE—NIGHT
The underside of the carriage. ABERNATHY Apparates, clinging to the wheel shaft.
SCENE 7
INT. THESTRAL-DRAWN CARRIAGE—NIGHT
SPIELMAN and GRINDELWALD sit, eyes locked, flanked by AURORS, all pointing their wands at GRINDELWALD. GRINDELWALD’S wand box lies on SPIELMAN’S lap.
SPIELMAN holds up the vial, dangling from its chain.
SPIELMAN
No more silver tongue, eh?
But GRINDELWALD is transforming . . .
SCENE 8
EXT. THESTRAL-DRAWN CARRIAGE—NIGHT
ABERNATHY adjusts his grip underneath the carriage. His face too is changing. His hair is turning blond and lengthening . . . he is GRINDELWALD. He raises the Elder Wand.
SCENE 9
INT. THESTRAL-DRAWN CARRIAGE—NIGHT
GRINDELWALD’S rapid transformation into a tongueless ABERNATHY is almost complete.
SPIELMAN
(shocked)
Oh!
SCENE 10
EXT. THESTRAL-DRAWN CARRIAGE—NIGHT
Now fully transformed, GRINDELWALD Disapparates from the underside of the carriage . . .
. . . and Apparates next to the driver’s seat, where he is spotted by AURORS 1 & 2. GRINDELWALD points his wand at the carriage reins, turning the black ropes into living snakes that ensnare AUROR 1 so he falls from the carriage, back through the night sky, past the broomstick riders.
GRINDELWALD casts another spell so the black ropes of the reins bind AUROR 2 like a chrysalis, launching him forward in the air, then slingshotting him back to knock AURORS 3 & 4 from the rear of the Thestral-drawn carriage. They fall away into darkness.
SCENE 11
INT. THESTRAL-DRAWN CARRIAGE—NIGHT
All wands reverse their direction to jab dangerously at the necks of SPIELMAN and the two remaining AURORS. SPIELMAN watches as his wand melts into dust.
The carriage rocks dangerously, both doors open. As GRINDELWALD’S head appears at the window, the panicking SPIELMAN opens the wand box on his lap. The Chupacabra leaps out and sinks its fangs deep into SPIELMAN’S neck. He wrestles it. The vial falls to the floor.
SCENE 12
EXT. THESTRAL-DRAWN CARRIAGE—NIGHT
GRINDELWALD drives the carriage down onto the Hudson River, chased by the AURORS on broomsticks. The carriage wheels graze the surface of the water. The broomstick riders are catching up.
GRINDELWALD touches the Elder Wand to the river and at once the inside of the carriage begins to fill with water.
He lifts the carriage back up into the air.
SCENE 13
INT. THESTRAL-DRAWN CARRIAGE—NIGHT
Submerged in the water, the two AURORS, SPIELMAN, and ABERNATHY hold their breath.
SPIELMAN attempts to grab the vial, which is floating loose in the water, but the Chupacabra blocks his path. ABERNATHY, with hands still bound, manages to capture the vial in his mouth.
SCENE 14
EXT. THESTRAL-DRAWN CARRIAGE—NIGHT
Still driving the carriage, GRINDELWALD swirls his wand in the air toward the surrounding storm clouds. One by one, forks of lightning strike the broomstick riders, knocking each in turn from the sky.
SCENE 15
INT. THESTRAL-DRAWN CARRIAGE—NIGHT
GRINDELWALD appears at the door and nods to ABERNATHY. He throws the door open so the water pours out—along with the two remaining AURORS. GRINDELWALD clambers inside and retrieves the vial from ABERNATHY’S mouth by the chain, casting a spell that grants ABERNATHY a new forked tongue.
GRINDELWALD
You have joined a noble cause, my friend.
GRINDELWALD rips the little Chupacabra off SPIELMAN. It rubs its bloody face affectionately against his hand.
GRINDELWALD
I know. Okay. I know, Antonio.
He looks at it with distaste.
GRINDELWALD
So needy.
He then flings it through the door.
He blasts SPIELMAN magically through the open door, then tosses a wand after him.
SCENE 16
EXT. SKY OVER ATLANTIC OCEAN—NIGHT
As SPIELMAN falls, he manages to seize the wand and conjures an invisible Slowing Charm. Sinking slowly toward the sea, SPIELMAN watches his carriage streaking away in the direction of Europe.
SCENE 17
EXT. OVERCAST LONDON, WHITEHALL—THREE MONTHS LATER—AFTERNOON
A gloomy silence. Establishing shot.
An owl flutters down into the Ministry.
SCENE 18
INT. MINISTRY OF MAGIC—AFTERNOON
NEWT SCAMANDER sits alone in a dingy waiting area, staring abstractedly into space. After a moment, he feels something tugging on his wrist. He looks down. Pickett, a Bowtruckle, is swinging on a loose thread in his cuff.
The thread snaps. Pickett falls. NEWT’S button rolls away down a corridor. NEWT and Pickett watch it go.
A beat.
Then both chase after it. NEWT just gets there first. As he bends to pick it up, he finds himself confronted by a pair of female feet.
LETA (O.S.)
They’re ready for you, Newt.
He stands up. Face-to-face with LETA LESTRANGE, who is beautiful and smiling, NEWT stuffs the button and Pickett into his pocket.
NEWT
Leta . . . what are you doing here?
LETA
Theseus thought it would be good if I became part of the Ministry family.
Did he actually say the words “Ministry family”?
She gives a little laugh. They head off along the corridor. Tension. A lot of history.
NEWT
That sounds like my brother.
LETA
Theseus was disappointed you couldn’t come to dinner. Any of the nights we asked you.
NEWT
Well, I’ve been busy.
LETA
He’s your brother, Newt, he likes spending time with you. And so do I.
NEWT spots Pickett climbing onto his lapel and holds out the breast pocket of his coat.
NEWT
(to Pickett)
Oi, you! Hop in, Pick.
Pickett snuggles down.
LETA
(smiling)
Why do strange creatures love you so much?
NEWT
Well, there are no strange creatures—
NEWT & LETA
“—only blinkered people.”
She is smiling again. NEWT—just—reciprocates.
LETA
How long did you get in detention for saying that to Prendergast?
NEWT
You know, I think it was a month that time.
LETA
And I set off a Dungbomb under his desk so I could join you, do you remember?
They have come within sight of scary, official doors leading to the meeting room. THESEUS SCAMANDER emerges.
NEWT
No, I actually don’t remember that.
Rebuffed, she comes to a halt. NEWT walks away toward THESEUS, who is very like NEWT, but more outgoing, easier in manner. THESEUS winks at LETA before turning to NEWT.
THESEUS
Hello.
LETA
Theseus. We were just talking about Newt coming for dinner.
THESEUS
Really? Well . . . Look, before we go in there I—
NEWT
—It’s my fifth attempt, Theseus. I know the form.
THESEUS
This isn’t going to be like the other times. This is . . . Just try and keep an open mind, will you? And maybe a little less—
A wordless gesture indicates Pickett, NEWT’S blue coat, and his messy hair.
NEWT
—like me?
THESEUS
(not without affection)
Well, it can’t hurt. Come on, let’s go.
SCENE 19
INT. MINISTRY OF MAGIC, HEARING ROOM—AFTERNOON
NEWT and THESEUS enter the room, where TORQUIL TRAVERS (harsh, mean-spirited), ARNOLD GUZMAN (American), and RUDOLPH SPIELMAN (who is still bruised from GRINDELWALD’S escape, the bloody bite visible on his neck) are already sitting.
Two empty chairs, which NEWT and THESEUS take. The corners of the room are in darkness.
TRAVERS
Hearing commences.
The quill begins to write. TRAVERS opens a file in front of him, which contains pictures of NEWT’S Wanted pictures and of the post-Obscurial devastation in New York.
TRAVERS
You want an end to the ban on your traveling internationally. Why?
NEWT
Because I like to travel internationally.
SPIELMAN
(reading from his own file)
“Subject uncooperative and evasive on reasons for last international trip.”
All look at NEWT, waiting.
NEWT
It was a field trip. I was collecting material for my book on magical beasts—
TRAVERS
You destroyed half of New York.
NEWT
No, that’s actually factually incorrect on two counts—
THESEUS
Newt!
NEWT stops, frowns.
GUZMAN
Mr. Scamander, it’s clear you’re frustrated and, frankly, so are we. In the spirit of compromise, we’d like to make a proposition.
NEWT glances at THESEUS warily. THESEUS nods: Listen.
NEWT
What kind of proposition?
TRAVERS
The committee will agree to lift your travel ban under one condition.
NEWT waits. SPIELMAN leans forward.
SPIELMAN
You join the Ministry. Specifically, your brother’s department.
NEWT digests this, then:
NEWT
No, I—that isn’t my kind of—Theseus is the Auror. I think my talents lie elsewhere—
GUZMAN
Mr. Scamander. The wizarding and non-wizarding worlds have been at peace for over a century. Grindelwald wants to see that peace destroyed, and for certain members of our community his message is very seductive. Many purebloods believe it is their birthright to rule not only our world but the non-magic world as well. They see Grindelwald as their hero, and Grindelwald sees this boy as a means to make this all come true.
Hearing this, NEWT frowns, watching as CREDENCE’S face emerges in the surface of the table.
NEWT
I’m sorry. You’re talking about Credence as if he were still here.
THESEUS
He
survived, Newt.
NEWT stops cold, his eyes fixed on THESEUS. THESEUS nods.
THESEUS
He’s still alive. He left New York months ago. He’s somewhere in Europe. Where exactly, we don’t know, but—
NEWT
And you want me to hunt Credence down? To kill him?
Out of the shadows in the corner comes deep, nasty laughter.
GRIMMSON
Same old Scamander.
NEWT reacts to the sound of the voice. GRIMMSON moves into the light. Scarred, brutal, he is a beast hunter for hire.
NEWT
(furious)
What’s he doing here?
GRIMMSON
Taking on the job you’re too soft to do.
GRIMMSON walks toward them while the ghostly image of CREDENCE shimmers on the enchanted surface of the table.
GRIMMSON
(of CREDENCE)
Is that it?
NEWT rises furiously, storms toward the door.
TRAVERS
(calling after him)
Travel documentation denied!
THESEUS stares at the door as it closes. The committee looks unsurprised, turns their gazes to the smirking GRIMMSON.
SCENE 20
INT. MINISTRY OF MAGIC, CORRIDOR—AFTERNOON
THESEUS chases after NEWT.
THESEUS
Newt!
NEWT stops. Turns.
THESEUS
(testy)
You think I like the idea of Grimmson any more than you do?
NEWT
Listen, I don’t want to hear how the ends justify the means, Theseus.
THESEUS
I think you’re gonna have to pull your head out of the sand!
NEWT
(exasperated)
Okay, right, here we go. What a selfish . . . irresponsible . . .
THESEUS
You know, the time is coming when everyone’s going to have to pick a side. Even you.
NEWT
I don’t do sides.
THESEUS
Newt . . .
He turns to go, but THESEUS runs after him, grabs his arm to hold him back.