Harry Potter spinoff Fantastic Beasts gets release date

It is the first instalment of a planned trilogy, with the screenplay written by Harry Potter author JK Rowling.

News of the spinoff was first released in September last year. The film, an original story and screenwriting debut for the best-selling author, will incorporate all of the magic and mysticism familiar to Harry Potter fans.

However, rather than a prequel or a sequel to Harry Potter, Rowling described her story as an “extension of the wizarding world,” which takes place 70 years before Harry’s tale and is centred around the adventures of Newt Scamander, the fictitious author of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

On top of the film series, Fantastic Beasts will also extend across multiple platforms including video games, consumer products and digital initiatives.

The Harry Potter series of books have sold over 450 million copies worldwide, are distributed in more than 200 territories, translated into 74 languages, and have been adapted into eight films. 

Fantastic Beasts was one of two small volumes written by Rowling, which appear as the titles of Harry’s schoolbooks within the novels.  The second was Quidditch Through the Ages and both were published in March 2001 in aid of Comic Relief. 

Harry Potter films have grossed more than $7.7bn to date worldwide at the box office, making it the largest-grossing film franchise in history.