Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

JK Rowling's Harry Potter movie spin-off Fantastic Beasts to be 'at least' a trilogy

The Newt Scamander films will be set 70 years before Harry Potter went to Hogwarts

Matilda Battersby
Friday 17 October 2014 16:12 BST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

JK Rowling has been tantalising fans on Twitter with clues about her new screenplay Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them. But what the author hasn’t revealed is that there might well be “three or more” of the Harry Potter spin-off movies in the works.

“Jo has a vision for this extension of the franchise, and for the first time, she is writing the script for what she believes is at least a trilogy,” Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara said according to the LA Times.

The movies look set to be directed by David Yates who helmed the final four of the eight-part Potter franchise.

Yates is also reported to be planning to reunite the Potter filmmaking team of David Heyman, J.K. Rowling, Steve Kloves and Lionel Wigram.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

Based on a 42-page textbook set for Hogwarts pupils and published in 2001, the spin-off Warner Bros film follows “magizoologist” Newt Scamander, who dedicates his life to the search for magical creatures in an “extension” of Potter’s fantastical world.

Rowling revealed some details to fans last September: “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,” she wrote. “But Newt’s story will start in New York, seventy years before Harry’s gets underway.”

Last week Rowling fuelled excitement among fans by posting a riddle on Twitter. The tweet, which read: "Cry, foe! Run amok! Fa awry! My wand won't tolerate this nonsense", led to a day of wild speculation before the author revealed it was an anagram referring to Newt Scamander.

It has also been rumoured that Rowling’s Quidditch Through the Ages – another of Harry Potter’s Hogwarts set texts - will be adapted for the big screen.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in