After 2011, it was assumed that the “Harry Potter” movie franchise was finished. Eight movies and seven books seemed to be enough.

But Nov. 18, 2016, a spin-off of the “Harry Potter” series debuted in theaters, set in the 1920s and based off one of Harry Potter’s textbooks. The textbook was published in 2001, 10 years before the final “Harry Potter” movie was released; but the author JK Rowling decided to revisit the author of the textbook, Newt Scamander, and release a movie about his adventures in New York.

For returning “Harry Potter” fans, there are several changes to this movie that we didn’t see in the last ones; for one, because it’s set in America, the traditional British accents we’re used to aren’t there. The United States seemed to have several different customs from the British wizards, like the fact that they called “Muggles,” or non-magical people, “No-Majs.”

The plot follows young Newt Scamander as he lands in New York after travelling from Britain. He carries a case with him that contains a variety of magical creatures inside, and of course a couple are set loose in the city. Amongst all this, anti-magical sentiments among “No-Majs” are rising, and efforts to conceal magical powers increase.

For an avid Harry Potter fan, I was very impressed – the movie was well-done, and the creatures in the movie match the descriptions in the book. What I liked most about the movie was that the book it was based off of had no plot, so I couldn’t be disappointed about the screenplay leaving anything important out. Also, the casting was spot-on; the main character was nerdy and endearing, and the actors cast for the other characters did a nice job relaying their character’s role.

Ticket prices are $5.76 per person at AMC, where I went. Overall, I’d give “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” a nine out of 10 because of the great plot and exciting characters. I would definitely recommend that everyone, even those who aren’t “Harry Potter” fans, check this movie out, because you don’t have to be a super fan to appreciate a good story.