With the upcoming adaptation of “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” J.K. Rowling’s epic “Harry Potter” universe is returning to the big screen. Credited to the fictitious Newt Scamander and belonging to Harry himself, “Fantastic” is a field guide to various magical creatures. However, Daniel Radcliffe says he won’t be playing the boy wizard in the film, which will center on Scamander, and will begin in New York some 70 years before the first “Potter” book. Fans will likely have plenty of easter eggs to discover in the film, which is currently in development at Warner Bros.
As for the rest of this week’s list…
September 25, 2013
1. “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” (Last week: Not ranked)
Will fans still line up for the new films, even without the Boy Who Lived?
2. “Prisoners” (Last week: Not ranked)
The Hugh Jackman-Jake Gyllenhaal thriller debuted to $21 million, winning the box office. Will it also win Oscar glory?
3. “Star Wars: Episode VII” (Last week: Not ranked)
J.J. Abrams is being predictably cagey about whether “Star Trek Into Darkness” star Benedict Cumberbatch is moving to a galaxy far, far away. The director reportedly responded to a Cumberbatch question with “I love that guy.”
4. “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay” (Last week: No. 4)
Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth will have a lot more co-stars this time around; the latest move has cast the key supporting roles of Castor and Pollux. Good thing there are two movies.
It’s the end of a very expensive era: Jerry Bruckeimer and Walt Disney Studios have terminated their deal, which spawned hits like “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Armageddon,” but also produced flops like this summer’s mega-bomb “The Lone Ranger.” Ouch.
Duncan Jones (“Moon”) may have picked his team mates for the long-delayed videogame adaptation: Colin Farrell and Paula Patton.
Veteran character actor Bruce Dern stares into the abyss in the new trailer for the latest dark comedy from Alexander Payne (“Sideways,” “Election”).
Two shuffled dates mean Pixar will go two full years between theatrical releases, with “Dinosaur” set to roar November 25, 2015. Who will fill the animation gap?
A mutant war is brewing. Is Marvel planning a series of “Inhumans” movies to make an end run around Fox’s “X-Men” rights?
Check out the previous edition here. What do you think of this week’s rankings? Share your thoughts below. Or tweet your thoughts with the hashtag #moviepowerrankings and tell us who you want to see in next week’s edition.