Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - Makers, Mysteries and Magic

by Hana Walker-Brown, Mark Salisbury, Dan Fogler (Narrator)

“This film is a different beast.” (Eddie Redmayne)

Available only in audio, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald - Makers, Mysteries and Magic lifts the lid on the moviemaking secrets behind the latest installment in J.K. Rowling's Fantastic Beasts series. Narrator Dan Fogler (who plays No-Maj Jacob Kowalski) will guide you through the process of creating the magical on-screen world and explore the story, themes, and characters of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.

Over 100 hours of interviews with the cast and crew have been used to create this unique audio adventure that’s sure to be loved by fans of filmmaking and the Wizarding World. Across its nine chapters, you will explore themes such as what’s next for Newt Scamander, whether we’ve seen every side of Albus Dumbledore, what makes Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald so dangerous, and what connects the worlds of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts.

With unrivalled access to the film’s cast, directors, producers, and makers, hear what it takes to build 1927 Paris on a lot just outside London, discover what influenced the design of the Elder Wand, meet the individuals who constructed iconic wizarding world locations including Hogwarts’ Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom - and mastered the craft and artistry required to fill it with authenticity and excitement.

With contributions from actors including Eddie Redmayne (Newt Scamander), Jude Law (Albus Dumbledore), Katherine Waterston (Tina Goldstein), and Alison Sudol (Queenie Goldstein) as well as director David Yates and producer David Heyman.

Give your eyes a rest and your ears a treat. Take a trip behind the scenes of the Wizarding World like never before.

Produced by Pottermore Publishing and Audible Originals.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald characters, names, and related indicia are copyright and trademark of Warner Bros Entertainment Inc. Publishing rights copyright of J.K. Rowling.

©2018 Warner Bros Entertainment Inc., 2018 (P)2018 Warner Bros Entertainment Inc., 2018

Genres: Audiobook, Nonfiction, Film, Magic, Harry Potter, Historical

Audiobook

First published November 16, 2018

Reviews

[Ryan Buckby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this within a few hours and i'd say this would be perfect for anyone who loves to know how to know how they make the films or any movie for that matter.

This audiobook is also good to add to any potterheads collection.


Personally for me i really enjoyed this one because i have always loved how they make the magic of these films and it goes from JK Rowlings mind, to the creative crew who create the sets, clothes, props etc its just amazing.

Dan Fogler narrates the majority of this audiobook with the cast of the film and the crew who work behind the scenes also popping in during the audibook.


This one to me sounds like an extra part of the DVD after you've finished watching the movie so you pop in the special features disc and watch it.. yeah thats what this audiobook experience was.


Dan Fogler did a brilliant job narrating the audiobook because his personality comes alive and the voices he does with it make it for more of an enjoyable time listening.


This is perfect for anyone who likes the making of a film or any potterhead who like me just likes how they bring this story to life.

[Char (lunarchar_) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this. I highly recommend to any Harry Potter fans & those who have seen the latest fantastic beasts films. It’s wonderful to learn more, for me especially about the props and costume, and you got to hear from a lot of the cast.

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dan Fogler does such a good job of bringing this behind the scenes look at the world of the Fantastic Beasts films to life. It was wonderful hearing from the actors and crew.

[Amina Mirsakiyeva · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an audiobook read by Dan Fogler and all filming team of the second "Fantastic beasts" movie. I am not sure that every fan of Harry Potter world will love it, but many will find this book interesting. People who were making costumes, decorations, computer graphics, writing scripts, playing roles - all of them were telling us hints of their work. I appreciate this book since it shows how much those people put in the project to make the magic real :)

[Tammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read- March 2020
- I'm going through a really difficult time right now and I just want to be immersed in my favourite
franchise. I despise the person that J.K. Rowling has become but I refuse to let her ruin this world
for me. It was lovely hearing the behind the scenes details of this film and reminded me of the
behind the scenes TV specials of the Harry Potter movies hosted by Ben Shephard.

[Elaine Howlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable. Great for young fans.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

The second book read in 2019! I'm doing so great. This audiobook is really interesting, however because The Crimes of Grindelwald was probably truly the most disappointing movie of 2018 for me it kind of tainted my feelings towards this.

I did like Dan Fogler's narration, but it was sort of too much and a bit obnoxious at times. I really liked knowing the makings of the sets and the graphic designers; Mina Lima and how they created the Daily Prophet. I found the makers talking about their work enticing. Yet, sometimes I did need the visuals.

Overall, it was a good audiobook to listen to while I was commuting and doing my homework. Second book done! 18 to go this year.

[Bibliovoracious]

This is not a book. This is the special features, audio only. I would have preferred to watch it than listen to it.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

#magicalreadathon2018: Christmas at Hogwarts
Prompt: Visit the owlery and bring Hedwig an Xmas treat - Read a book with a creature in the title, on the cover, that's about an animal, etc

4.5/5

As someone who found the movie very "meh", this audiobook was SO interesting and quite awe inspiring.

This is an audio documentary about all the behind-the-scenes work that went into the Crimes of Grindelwald movie. Did you know they never actually left London to film this damn thing??? It was all design, built and painted sets.
This goes into the sets, the research, the costumes, the acting choices, what it's like being an extra on set, the animal training, the CGI...
Basically, all the small details that go into creating the atmosphere and magic of the movie.

I am stunned by all the work put in by the film industry. Now, I just wish I had enjoyed the actual script and story more. I still recommend this for Potter fans and movie fans alike.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars
It was relatively interesting to listen too. I'm always interested to know how my favourite movies were made, and the intersting bits of behind the scenes they allow us. However some parts would have beneficiated from the visual reference, especially when they talk about costumes and such. An actual video documentary would have been better. I would totally have watched the whole 4/5 hours of it. Then Daniel Kevin Fogler's narration was fun and quirky, buuuuut a little too much. It made it sound like something for children, which it wasn't really...

[Beth Gea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es un libro que está bien para pasar el rato, pero que hubiera tenido más sentido como una serie de televisión o un documental sobre el "detrás de las cámaras" de Crimes of Grindelwald.

Me gusta mucho Dan Fogler y su energía, aunque hay momentos que, como narrador del libro, está demasiado pasado de revoluciones.

Y el "elefante en la sala": hay entrevistas a todos los personajes principales (e incluso extras) y ni una sola a Johnny Depp hablando de Grindelwald. Imagino que sus razones tendrían, pero que en un capítulo entero dedicado a Grindelwald no diga nada, pues me deja una sensación de que falta algo.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little side diversion because I really like the movie and am fond of Newt Scamander in particular. I especially enjoyed the actors' insights about their characters, because screenplays and films leave out background material you get in novels.
Some of Dan Fogler's, shall we say, delivery choices and comments got on my nerves a bit; and I think there was too much background music and sound effects while people were talking.

[Roderick Vonhogen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful account of what happens behind the scenes during the filming of The Crimes of Grindelwald with many interviews of the cast and crew. It gave me a new appreciation of the movie and of the movie making process.

[Katie (Kitkatscanread) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed finding out about the behind the scenes of the crimes of grindelwald

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

My full review can be found here: https://www.geekuniversal.com/2018/11...

[Gabriela · Rating 1 out of 5]

The audiobook has absolutely no new information and adds nothing to the reader. It is just a feature-type introduction to the movie that could be surmised with a 5-minute video compilation of cast interviews.

I was excited for Daniel Fogler's narration since I adored his acting in Fantastic Beast, and yet it was way too much: overly done, infantile and obnoxious to the point of being irritating.

The cast and crew interviews are messy and frustrating. More often than not, they are talking too fast and often with almost incomprehensible accents, as well as not giving any relevant information and made for an annoying reading experience. There is one particular one-minute interview where a person says "do you know what I mean" 6 times.

An audiobook is supposed to transport the reader right to the story. This is basically just a long behind-the-scenes video without the video, that makes the reader frustrated he can't see anything that is being talked about.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a huge Harry Potter fan. And I really loved the Fantastic Beasts movies too! I honestly wasn't really expecting much from this audiobook, but I honestly thought it was great!

I loved Dan Fogler narrating this! He made it so funny, comical, and it was an experience for sure. I also loved the music and sound effects that they put in the audiobook. It has that feel of being immersive and it feels like you're there. The noise of the people working behind the interviewee feels like you are actually listening to them in their environment.

The audiobook definitely has that feel of watching the bonus footage and behind the scenes in a DVD but just in an audio and you're listening to it than watching it.

This really made me want to watch the movie again and just pay closer attention to the costumes, the music, the wands, the sets, and everything else in between.

If you really liked the Harry Potter and the Fantastic Beasts movies, I definitely recommend this. And I would really love to listen to more of these for the future movies.

[Nicola Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored the film and it was great finding out more about the behind the scenes. I could listen to (and read) books related to the wizarding world forever, and this was a great addition as a glimpse behind the magic.

Brilliantly narrated by Dan Fogler (who just brings the pure energy and is a delight to listen to), interspersed with interviews and insights from the cast and crew. I'll never stop being mind blown by the thought and detail that goes into making these films and its never more obvious than listening to books like this which gives you a sneaky peak into just how much work goes into it.

From the making of the costumes, sets, characters and their development, to how things are made and produced to bring us the final film I've certainly come to know and love. It's well worth a listen and a must read/ listen to all fans who can't get enough of the wizarding world.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

It plays like an audio-only version of a really, really good DVD bonus feature. It goes into a LOT of depth into what it takes to make a film and features nice, in-depth interviews with the cast, the heads of various departments, and other crew members within those departments. It's mostly spoiler-free but not quite as spoiler-averse as the making-of book by Ian Nathan.

Also Dan Fogler seems to be having the time of his life narrating this and he makes it so interesting. There were a lot of times where I wished I could just WATCH this documentary instead of listening to it, but it's still very good. I wish it could've gone into a bit more depth on certain plot elements but it's good for what it is.

[Kristin Katsuye · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first I was glad to see the actor being the voice of this behind the scenes book. Is this a cheesey trolly ride in the backlots? The jokes are way too much that aren’t funny & don’t add any additional information that you’re seeking of the movies. In the beginning the interviews are too spaced out too where you don’t even get much information. Towards the end, the very end, it gets a bit better with longer interviews with people & not as quickly cut off filled with many bad jokes like the beginning. Was going to give one star but the end made me give one more star because there are a few interesting interviews. I think this would have done better as a visual media. I debated finishing this at all but between audiobooks I took a break with this one.

[Thijs · Rating 2 out of 5]

The beginning of this book hypes it up.as THE perfect behind the scenes experience. And if you hype it up, you better deliver.

And this book did not. For the simple reason that when they talk of a lot of behind the scenes and how they make stuff, I want to SEE that. Maybe that's just me being visually tuned, but I think it is more likelu that this book is not the optimal medium for a movie behind the scenes book.

Also they didn't have Johnny Depp to talk about Grindelwald.

And they still concider Credence to be a Dumbledore as a spoiler, which is really idiotic. Nobody would listen to this without having watched the movie.
Or they just wanted to hide the fact that Credence being a Dumbledore is super dumb. Yeah, that's more clever.

[Alex Shrugged · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm... I didn't like the movie all that much. I liked this audiobook look at the behind-the-scenes making of the movie a lot better. There are a lot of celebrity interviews, and the narrator is one of the main characters of the movie, the guy who played Jacob the Baker. Good voice. Does a good job.

They also managed not to give away the plot of the movie which, if you haven't seen the movie yet, is a bonus. Thus, this audiobook was almost like a promotional and at times it felt like a commercial, but they provided plenty of content so I was satisfied.

I might watch the movie again just to see if my opinion of it has changed, but I probably won't revisit this audiobook, though I was glad to have listened to it.

[Melissa Hamm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so much to listen to it felt like I was on set with the cast having a everyday conversations. It was interview for the cast by the cast and the cast jumping in the most goofy serious make sense way. I love learning about how the movie was made from the characters to the costumes to the wands to the food for the actors in between scenes! That was one of the best parts was getting to learn about the people behind we don't usually here from! I even got to learn about some of the programs that are used to get into certain jobs and how the characters got cast some even by the chance! Honestly might re-listen this sometime purely for the laughs and giggles.

[Yasser Maniram · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wizards be warned! The first half of this book consisted of Muggle cast and crew blowing smoke up each other's (cough) while, no fault of the host - who was largely the only saving grace. The second-half in contrast was far more insightful and deeply soul piercing in ways only the Ministry of Magic would understand. To explain it simply, the second-half covered more on human nature, the creatures, the wands and the exotic materials used to craft them in real life as well as behind the scenes acting feedback.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable journey behind the scenes of the making of Crimes of Grindelwald. I do wonder whether this won't turn up as the audio for the extras when the movie is released on video. Still, it is fact-filled and filled with interesting interviews with many of the major and minor creators of the movie magic. Dan Fogler once again is our POV lens, this time into the work that goes into making a major film.

[Brianna Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic and unique audiobook. It definitely gives people like me, who’s highly interested in how they make films especially this one, behind the scenes of every aspect of how this film was made. It was even more exciting to immediately start this book right after I watched the film so I had everything fresh on my mind. Dan Fogler was simply spectacular as our host. He just seems like a cool guy especially how fun he is in this book. I hope they do this again for future films.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, Dan Fogler did a brilliantly animated job narrating this and there was a lot of interesting stuff in it, with a lot of titbits from many of the cast...a real bonus for fans of this universe!
However, it loses one possible star for really just being the audio of what would be a great tv show, and another for the fact there is not one single word from Grindelwald/Johnny Depp ..It’s called The Crimes of Grindelwald...could we just have had one quote from the man himself?!

[S. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Would have worked better as a film documentary, they often described clothes or props, would have been more fun to actually be able to see them.
Dan's narration really didn't do it for me. I really wanted to DNF the audiobook but kept pushing through because I love learning more things about BTS of the wizarding world. His narration felt childish? With awkward unfunny jokes and weird voices. I think I would've liked it more without all the gimmicks.

[Kara Fairchild · Rating 4 out of 5]

My rating system:
5 stars - Absolutely loved it! I would definitely read again anytime!
4 stars - Really liked it! Will most likely read again sometime.
3 stars - Liked it. Glad I read it but probably won't read again.
2 stars - Didn't like it. Glad I'm done with the book and I'll never read it again.
1 star - Very rare rating. Absolutely hated the book. Will never read again and I'll probably burn any copies I come across.


Always fun to get a glimpse behind the curtain!

[Carrie Griffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book to listen to for fans of Fantastic Beasts. Dan Fogler does an incredible job reading this and leads you through a tour of the movie. He is as funny as usual and he made it a quite enjoyable time, especially the voices he created throughout. I love documentaries and this one was great.