It’s been speculated for a while that Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a slim 42-page supplement to the Harry Potter saga released back in 2001, would be magically transformed into not one, not two, but three movies, but it wasn’t confirmed. Until now, that is!
Warner Bros. has officially announced the Fantastic Beasts trilogy, and laid out some rough release dates. The first movie will hit 2016, the second in 2018 and the third in 2020.
Of course this will likely set off plenty of grumbling about 42 pages of material being spread over six to seven hours of film, but J.K. Rowling herself is writing the movies, so really, the book is just the starting point for a good chunk of new Rowling-penned Potter-universe material. The new trilogy will be directed by David Yates, the guy responsible for the last four pretty solid Harry Potter cinematic offerings.
For those who haven’t been following along, Fantastic Beasts wasn’t actually a narrative story, but a textbook (a 42-page textbook? This Hogwarts sounds like a breeze) describing the various magical creatures of the world. The movie will star its fictional author, Newt Scamander, and the story will begin in America. By the by, Fantastic Beasts wasn’t the only faux textbook Rowling released in 2001 — she also wrote Quidditch Through the Ages, and in 2008 we got The Tales of Beedle the Bard, so we’re probably going to be stocked up on Harry Potter spin-off movies well into the 2030s.
Via E! Online
