The upcoming “Harry Potter” spinoff film, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” is going to be the first in a film trilogy, and more movies might be on the way.
The movies will be directed by “Potter” veteran David Yates, who directed the latter four films in the eight-part franchise, and will reunite the filmmaking team of David Heyman, J.K. Rowling, Steve Kloves and Lionel Wigram, Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara said at Time Warner’s investors conference Wednesday.
The “Fantastic Beasts” movies are based on an original story by “Potter” author J.K. Rowling and will mark her screenwriting debut. Release dates are slated for 2016, 2018, 2020 and perhaps beyond.
“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,” Tsujihara said.
Set 70 years before the events of the “Harry Potter” tales, “Fantastic Beasts” is the first movie in a planned trilogy about the adventures of Hufflepuff hero Newt Scamander. The character — a magizoologist, who studies magical creatures, of course — first appeared as the fictional author of a 42-page textbook of sorts from which the new trilogy takes its name. The book was originally published in 2001.
Tsujihara emphasized Warners’ commitment to the “Harry Potter” franchise, which remains the most successful franchise in film history, with $7.7 billion in global box office earnings. He also touted the Wizarding World theme parks in Orlando and Osaka.
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