JK Rowling to revisit Harry Potter-verse for new movie series

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by FreezeC77, Sep 12, 2013.

  1. FreezeC77

    FreezeC77 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    http://www.latimes.com/entertainmen...r-author-jk-rowlings-20130912,0,3404185.story
    Warner Bros. and "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling are going to try to catch lightning in a bottle again.
    The Hollywood movie studio and best-selling writer have unveiled a new agreement to make movies based on Rowling's work. While Harry Potter may be over, the witches and wizards that can be found in Potter's Hogwarts textbook "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," along with the adventures of fictitious author Newt Scamander will live on.
    "'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,” Rowling said in a statement. “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.”

    Rowling will write the screenplay for “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” which Warner Bros. said would be the first movie of a new franchise.


    Not shocking at all although I expected the next Harry Potter venture to be in book form and then go to movies although I suppose that could happen eventually with something that takes place after Deadly Hollows.


    I have to admit though I really like the idea of 70 years prior since that puts us right smack into WWII. We know Hitler had the Nazi's going for supernatural artifacts and experiments so it would be pretty easy to have them get involved into this at some point.
     
  2. Sindatur

    Sindatur The Gray Owl Wizard Admiral

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    Grindelwald and Dumbledore's timeframe (maybe, depending on wether it's 70 years ago today, or 70 years before the first book set in the early 1990s).

    Wasn't Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them an Encyclopedia type book (IE: No actual Plot, just information on Wizarding World Creatures)? Are they just reusing the name, or adapting it to a movie, and the book has more story than I realized?
     
  3. Owain Taggart

    Owain Taggart Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Yeah, I can't really see a movie being made out of an encyclopedia. Being that it will be based on the ficticious author though, I suppose she could always write a story about how he's encountered everything referenced in the book that he writes about.
     
  4. Kemaiku

    Kemaiku Admiral Admiral

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    Probably just that, set over the course of a few years as he is nearly killed time and time again travelling to all the places we've heard of and seeing a lot of the monsters finally.

    As for the second film it would be close to the time of Dumbledore's duel and his winning the Elder Wand.
     
  5. shapeshifter

    shapeshifter Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Smart move on both her and Warners part. Her creation is just too fertile a property to allow laying fallow. Can't wait...
     
  6. Reverend

    Reverend Admiral Admiral

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    Although the cynic in me wants to say "Oh dear, already? Did she blow all her money in Vegas or something?" I actually think the world she created is strong enough to support new works. Indeed, I'll go so far as to say it might actually flourish without labouring on this prolonged "chosen one must face the evil bloke with no nose" arc.

    Not sure about the title though, but I suppose it's not like they can call it Harry Potter if he's not even in it.
     
  7. Relayer1

    Relayer1 Admiral Admiral

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    I knew she couldn't leave it alone...
     
  8. DigificWriter

    DigificWriter Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Rowling said '70 years before the events of the HP novels', which means the 1920s.

    Regarding the content of this series, all indicators are that it's going to be an entirely original work that just happens to share the title of the in-universe textbook/for-charity sourcebook. It's essentially and effectively a brand-new HP-related novel series, but in the filmic medium as opposed to the literary one.
     
  9. Kemaiku

    Kemaiku Admiral Admiral

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    Assuming the films are meant to be 1991-1998 as well, and that it's fully 70 or more years before them.
     
  10. Dark Gilligan

    Dark Gilligan Writer Fleet Captain

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    Why would she? It's her creation to do with as she pleases.
     
  11. Hound of UIster

    Hound of UIster Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Gotta milk that Potter cow until it lactates blood.
     
  12. CaptainCanada

    CaptainCanada Admiral Admiral

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    I'll be interested to see how a story written directly for the screen will differ from the adapted stories, since Rowling's expansive, detail-heavy novels often posed challenges to fit into a movie.
     
  13. Richard Baker

    Richard Baker Commodore Commodore

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    Not surprised- studios value successful franchises greatly.
    The last couple of Potter books were written for the screen so starting off with a movie before a novel is not very different.
    Not a big fan of the series but it does have impressive SFX so it is in my collection.
     
  14. JoeZhang

    JoeZhang Vice Admiral Admiral

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    nor a theme-park ride?
     
  15. CaptainCanada

    CaptainCanada Admiral Admiral

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    Not really. The sixth book, in particular, is structured entirely around gradual reveals of backstory through flashbacks, in a manner that's not remotely cinematic (and, indeed, the movie cut or condensed all that pretty noticeably).
     
  16. bigdaddy

    bigdaddy Vice Admiral Admiral

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    It's not like people don't want more movies and I rather have a spinoff then more and more sequels.
     
  17. gblews

    gblews Vice Admiral Admiral

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    And why would anyone think she would explore her creation further only because she needs money? :confused:
     
  18. Hound of UIster

    Hound of UIster Vice Admiral Admiral

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    She bought a medieval castle and they are very expensive.
     
  19. Relayer1

    Relayer1 Admiral Admiral

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    I made no value judgment.

    I'm actually happy that she's doing it.

    I just said that I knew that she couldn't leave it alone...
     
  20. P0sitr0nic

    P0sitr0nic Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Kind of a cool idea...