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Harry Potter author JK Rowling is set to make her screenwriting debut after signing up with Warner Bros to pen the script for a fantasy film which will be based on her renowned series.
The new film will focus on the adventures of fictional character Newt Scamander, the writer of the Harry Potter-themed book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Although it is set to feature creatures from the Potter world, Rowling has insisted that the film is neither a prequel nor a sequel.
Talking about the new series, 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 17 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, 70 years before Harry’s gets underway. I always said that I would only revisit the wizarding world if I had an idea that I was really excited about and this is it.”
Warner Bros later announced that the new series will have computer game tie-ins as well as links to Rowling’s website Pottermore.