Before Harry Potter. Across an ocean. A new world of magic awaits! #FantasticBeasts pic.twitter.com/rwB9FwHSPq
— Fantastic Beasts (@FantasticBeasts) October 13, 2016
Way back in 2011, Lord of the Rings fans were delighted when Peter Jackson announced that he would be adapting J.R.R. Tolkien’s prequel tale, The Hobbit, into two films. Most were satisfied with Jackson’s vivid take on Middle-earth, so returning to Bag End was cause for joy. However, when it was all said and done, The Hobbit evolved into a bloated trilogy that left most fans disappointed. Somewhere along the way, the spirit of the work got lost in translation, leaving us with an Uncanny Valley version of Orlando Bloom and a hackneyed love triangle. All of this to say, more isn’t always better when you’re dealing with beloved fantasy franchises.
As Harry Potter fans look ahead to the November release of J.K. Rowling’s latest foray into the world of magic, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, they got news at a fan event in London that while it was once conceived as a trilogy, it will now be a five film series. According to Variety, this decision has been a gradual one for Rowling, as she’s been learning how to write screenplays as she is working on them (she doesn’t recommend it).
“I’m pretty sure that there are going to be five movies, now that I’ve been able to properly plot them out… We always knew that there would be more than one.”
If fans are worried about the slim volume that served as the jumping off point for the films, Rowling was quick to put their fears to rest on Twitter.
I think, when you realise what story we're *really* telling, you'll understand that it can't possibly fit in one movie! https://t.co/xV5vYwCDdr
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 13, 2016
Fantastic Beasts star Eddie Redmayne also weighed in, letting people know that they were taking on the magical mantle with great care.
“The honest answer is that I feel enormous pressure,” he said. “We put quite high expectations on ourselves. We didn’t want to screw it up.”
So, perhaps all will be revealed in the first film of Fantastic Beasts (which is confirmed to have a Dumbledore cameo, strengthening its ties to Potter) and all of the hand wringing will be for nothing. Honestly, the adaptation of The Deathly Hallows has been the only final installment split to work on film, so that’s a start. Even after the huge misstep that was the print version of The Cursed Child, in Rowling we trust.
(Via Variety)
