Claim: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was a film.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a 2016 fantasy film directed by David Yates and distributed by Warner Bros. . Pictures . A spin-off of the Harry Potter film series , it was produced and written by J. K. Rowling , in her screenwriting debut , and inspired by her book of the same name . Set in 1926 New York , the film stars Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander with Katherine Waterston , Dan Fogler , Alison Sudol , Ezra Miller , Samantha Morton , Jon Voight , Carmen Ejogo , Ron Perlman and Colin Farrell in supporting roles . It is the first instalment in the Fantastic Beasts series , and the ninth overall in J. K. Rowling 's Wizarding World , the franchise that began with the Harry Potter films .   Principal photography began at Warner Bros. . Studios , Leavesden , England in August 2015 and was completed in January 2016 . Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them premiered in New York City on 10 November 2016 and was released worldwide on 18 November 2016 in 3D , IMAX 4K Laser and other large format cinemas . The film received positive reviews from critics and grossed $ 814 million worldwide , making it the eighth highest-grossing film of 2016 .   The film was nominated for five BAFTAs , winning for Best Production Design , as well as two Academy Awards , winning Best Costume Design , becoming the first film in J.K. Rowling 's Wizarding World to win an Academy Award .