JK Rowling Writes Her First Movie... A Harry Potter Spin-Off

The world-famous author has made a hugely exciting announcement about her next writing project. Here, she explains why she's taking us back to the wizarding world

JK Rowling is penning a new movie based on a textbook from Harry Potter's Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Warner Bros made the surprising announcement last night, explaining that the movie will be inspired by Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, and will focus on the book's fictitious author, Newt Scamander. This will be the author's screenwriting debut. And it seems Jo didn't want any other writer to pen the movie script...

She said: 'It all started when Warner Bros. came to me with the suggestion of turning Fantastic Beasts And Where to Find Them into a film. I thought it was a fun idea, but the idea of seeing Newt Scamander, the supposed author of Fantastic Beasts, realised by another writer was difficult. Having lived for so long in my fictional universe, I feel very protective of it and I already knew a lot about Newt.

'As hard-core Harry Potter fans will know, I liked him so much that I even married his grandson, Rolf, to one of my favourite characters from the Harry Potter series, Luna Lovegood.

'As I considered Warners’ proposal, an idea took shape that I couldn’t dislodge. That is how I ended up pitching my own idea for a film to Warner Bros.

'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. 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.'

The new movie will also be developed into a video game and brought to life in various consumer products.

We're. So. Excited.

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