Potterheads across the world rejoice! As announced in an article on Sept. 12 by “Entertainment Weekly” J.K Rowling, author of the “Harry Potter” series is creating three new films, all based on books spun-off of or mentioned in the Potter books. The first book to be adapted is “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” which was published in 2001, and the film is set to premier in 2014. “Fantastic Beasts” will be produced by Warner Bros, the same studio responsible for the other eight Potter films.
The film follows the book’s “author” Newt Scamander in his adventures discovering the magical creatures. The film takes place in 1920s New York, which places the setting far from the familiar Hogwarts castle. This gives viewers an opportunity to view wizarding congregations outside of London.
“This is a separate story within a universe related to the Potter universe,” said David Heyman, a producer in an interview with “Entertainment Weekly.”
The beasts making appearances on screen will include familiar creatures like Hippogriffs and Dragons, in addition to new monsters never before seen in movie adaptations.
Rowling is still working on the screenplay, but according to Heyman, she is “very excited” to be writing about the Potter universe again. It is also the first time Rowling will be writing specifically for the screen, as all but one of the scripts for the Potter movies were written by Steve Knowles.
Warner Bros has also recently announced they have purchased the copyrights to two more Potter spin-off books, “Quidditch Through The Ages,” published in 2001, and “The Tales of the Beetle in the Bard,” published in 2008. “Quidditch” covers not only how the game is played, but important players from the history and invention of the game. “The Tales of Beetle in the Bard” is a collection of wizarding children stories that played a pivotal role in the final book of the Potter series. The exact release dates for those two adaptations are unknown, but according to Mugglenet, the official Potter fan site, they can be expected sometime in 2015.
With these highly anticipated new releases, Potterheads have reason to renew their passion alongside a generation of new Potter fans.
Photo courtesy of Scholastic
Great article Emily! Will be sharing this very necessary information with our Harry Potter addicted family members! Keep up the good work! 🙂