Rowling Introduces Fantastic Beasts to Harry Potter Fandom
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For those of you who spent your childhood engrossed in the world of Harry Potter, I have got good news. The Wizarding World is hitting the big screen again next month and four more times after that in the foreseeable future. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will be J.K. Rowling’s first time screenwriting, as she adapts her book of the same name into movie format. The book was initially intended to be made into a set of three movies, but Warner Bros. recently announced that it will now span five movies, the first three set to come out in November of 2016, 2018, and 2020, respectively. It is expected that the final two movies of this series will, therefore, come out in the fall of 2022 and the fall of 2024.
The book, which was published in 2001 under the pseudonym Newt Scamander, was meant to be a depiction of one of Harry’s textbooks. The afore-mentioned Scamander will be the main character of the films. Eddie Redmayne (think The Theory of Everything, The Danish Girl, and Les Misérables) has been cast in this central role. The storyline takes place in New York City in 1929, making it a prequel of sorts to the Harry Potter series. Additionally, its location means that we will finally be introduced to the previously mysterious American Wizarding World. The plot will follow Scamander as he finishes up a trip around the world, during which he has been saving magical creatures across the planet. Unfortunately, things go awry in New York City. A No-Maj (the American version of a Muggle) sets some of Scamander’s creatures lose on the city, leading to a wild goose chase to find them in order to keep the Wizarding World a secret.
Although the movie is a far cry from the Hogwarts-filled tales Harry Potter fans are used to, Rowling’s involvement in the screenplay ensures that the films will stick to the style and world we are used to from the original series. The last of the Harry Potter films came out in 2011, so a Rowling-inspired film is well overdue. With the first of these five film set to come out in less than a month, on November 18, it is time to start getting excited for Rowling to cast yet another spell over you