The Case of Beasts: Explore the Film Wizardry of Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them

(Probably the longest book title I have ever read!)

Written by Mark Salisbury

Designed by MinaLima

Goodreads Rating: 4.7

Humpo Show Rating | 5/5

The Case of Beasts is the official companion book to J.K. Rowling’s screenplay-turned-film debut Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Explore the magic behind the film-making, the array of fantastical creatures, the biographies of the witches and wizards that dazzle us on screen, as well as the abundance of props, designs and sets that are used in the film. Salisbury and MinaLima deliver an enchanting interactive experience by sharing film-making secrets, film photography and artwork, and behind-the scenes stories from cast and crew. Full of removable, facsimile reproductions of props and paper ephemera from the movie, along with some very special effects, this collectible volume offers a unique look from the talented group who created this movie magic.

At under two hundred pages, you would expected that you’d be able to read the book quite quickly. This is certainly not the case. The amount of information, the intricate details of the props and photos, and the paper ephemera that can be pulled out and unfolded is just delightful and can keep any Potterhead entertained for hours. To be completely honest, I was a little apprehensive about reading something that I thought was akin to fan-fiction or a low standard mass produced book aimed at rinsing fans, however, those thoughts were quickly quashed after flicking through it on Christmas Day. The effort gone into creating this companion book is simply incredible. Hats off to Salisbury and MinaLima (they actually have an exhibition in London which I plan on visiting!) for the sheer depth of detail gone into compiling information and paraphernalia attached to characters, creatures and places.

It is hard to select a favourite chapter due to the highest of standards that are exerted on every one. Although, I must say that the things that I enjoyed looking at the most were the prop newspapers, posters and documents. It got me thinking that the job that the prop designers do for Potter/Fantastic Beasts is one of the best in existence. Writing newspaper articles about the wizarding world sounds amazing!

The attention to detail is simply astounding. Even the MACUSA I.D. card for Tina Goldstein is given the full treatment with fingerprints, signatures, logos, numbers, in order to give it the authenticity that the film demands.

The Case of Beasts is a wonderful book focusing on the film Fantastic Beasts, and from one Potterhead to another (assuming you are a Potterhead if you have read this far!) “Go out and get it!” It a brilliant book, and I may have a look at the film books made for the Potter films to see if they are to the same standard as this.

The Humpo Show | Richard