The Harry Potter spinoff Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will be made into a trilogy.
The movie is an adaptation of the 2001 book of the same name by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, published between the fourth and fifth book in the Potter series. It was billed as Harry’s copy of the Hogwarts textbook (also of the same name) that was mentioned in the first Potter novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
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The news of the trilogy was revealed over the weekend in a New York Times profile of Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara. According to the Times, “three megamovies” are being planned, with the protagonist a “magizoologist” named Newt Scamander.
For her part, Rowling said Tsujihara was instrumental in making the Beasts adaptation happen.
“When I say he made Fantastic Beasts happen, it isn’t P.R.-speak but the literal truth,” she told the Times. “We had one dinner, a follow-up telephone call and then I got out the rough draft that I’d thought was going to be an interesting bit of memorabilia for my kids and started rewriting!”
Warner Bros. first announced the adaptation as a film series in September, saying it was part of an “expanded creative partnership” with Rowling.
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“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 at the time. “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.”
Warner Bros.’ plans include leveraging this new series into a video game, consumer products and digital initiatives. It will also expand the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme parks in conjunction with partner Universal Parks and Resorts.
