Warner Bros. is betting there’s still plenty of magic left in J.K. Rowling.
The studio announced a massive new partnership with the the British author to produce a new film franchise set on the world created in the Potter books — with the story kicking off in the most magical of places, New York City.
The new series, however, will not feature Daniel Radcliffe’s Harry Potter, as it’s set 70 years before the events of “The Sorcerer’s Stone.”
The first movie in the budding franchise — inspired by a Hogwarts textbook title, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” written by the fictional Newt Scamander, from the original series — will be scripted by Rowling, who is making her screenwriting debut.
"Although it will be set in the worldwide community of witches and wizards where I was so happy for seventeen 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," said Rowling in a statement.
The eight 'Potter' movies grossed $7.7 billion at the box office worldwide.
"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, seventy years before Harry's gets underway."
Rowling said she was intrigued by the idea of focusing on the adventures of Scamander, whose grandson, Rolf, ends up marrying fan favorite Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter series.
Rowling herself will write the first screenplay in the 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' film series.
“Having lived for so long in my fictional universe, I feel very protective of it and I already knew a lot about Newt,” she said.
Old Newt will have a tough act to follow: the eight “Harry Potter” films earned $7.7 billion worldwide, making it the most lucrative film franchise in history. Rowling's seven books in the series sold 450 million copies and were translated into 74 languages.
The deal extends far outside the multiplex, too, with an increased presence at Universal Parks and Resorts’ Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme parks and a new slate of video games.
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Originally Posted by C&CDean
