Harry Potter fans everywhere, rejoice!
Today, Warner Bros announced an 'expanded creative partnership' with Harry Potter-scribe J.K. Rowling. At the core of the new partnership is a film series based on Rowling's book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them--an encyclopaedic take on the magical beasts of the Harry Potter world and the book's fictional creator, Newt Scamander.
Better yet, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will be penned by J.K. Rowling herself, and will stand-alone to the Harry Potter franchise, though still contain much of the magical elements that made millions fall in love with the boy wizard.
Said J.K. Rowling in her official statement:
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“Although it will be set in the worldwide community of witches and wizards where I was so happy for seventeen years, ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ is neither a prequel nor a sequel to the Harry Potter series, but an extension of the wizarding world,” said Rowling. “The laws and customs of the hidden magical society will be familiar to anyone who has read the Harry Potter books or seen the films, but Newt’s story will start in New York, seventy years before Harry’s gets underway.”
“It all started when Warner Bros. came to me with the suggestion of turning ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ into a film. I thought it was a fun idea, but the idea of seeing Newt Scamander, the supposed author of ‘Fantastic Beasts,’ realized by another writer was difficult. Having lived for so long in my fictional universe, I feel very protective of it and I already knew a lot about Newt. As hard-core Harry Potter fans will know, I liked him so much that I even married his grandson, Rolf, to one of my favourite characters from the Harry Potter series, Luna Lovegood.
As I considered Warners’ proposal, an idea took shape that I couldn’t dislodge. That is how I ended up pitching my own idea for a film to Warner Bros.
I particularly want to thank Kevin Tsujihara of Warner Bros. for his support in this project, which would not have happened without him. I always said that I would only revisit the wizarding world if I had an idea that I was really excited about and this is it.”
As well as the film, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will include a video game tie-in and a feature on Pottermore--the interactive 'game' dedicated to the Harry Potter mythos and story. It'll be a typically busy few months for J.K. Rowling, because as well as the development of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, her first adult novel, The Casual Vacancy, is to be adapted into a mini-series for the BBC to be aired sometime in 2014.
As a Potter fan, I'm excited.
