J.K. Rowling Movie Deal: Harry Potter Spin-Off Series Features 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'
Cue the "Harry Potter" fan freak out.
Warner Bros. has announced that it's partnering with "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling for a brand new film series set in the author's fantasy world of wizards and witches. MTV reports that the source material for the films will come from Rowling's "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."
The book is an in-universe text written by the fictional Newt Scamander, which focuses on the many magical creatures that appear in the "Harry Potter" series. It was first published in 2001 as a companion to the "Harry Potter" books. The first installment of the series will mark Rowling's screenwriting debut.
Rowling said in a statement that the idea of "Fantastic Beasts" films began with a suggestion from Warner Bros.
"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," Rowling said. "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."
Although Warner Bros. mentioned in the release that the story will "feature creatures and characters, some of which will be familiar to devoted Harry Potter fans," the 48-year-old author confirmed the film is part of the "Harry Potter" universe, but is by no means another "Harry Potter" film.
"Although it will be set in the worldwide community of witches and wizards where I was so happy for 17 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," Rowling said. "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, 70 years before Harry's gets underway.'"
The final book in the series, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," was published in 2007 while the final movie was released in 2011. Rowling first introduced the world to her world of magic and wizardry in 1997 with "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone."