‘Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them’ Director David Yates Reveals Sequel’s Script is Already Written; J.K. Rowling Ready for 3rd Film?

‘Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them’ director David Yates admitted that J.K. Rowling has written the sequel’s script ahead of its scheduled release for 2018. He also revealed that Rowling has also begun thinking about the third film in the planned ‘Harry Potter’ cinematic expansion series.

According to Fansided, Yates revealed that the second film’s script has been written and ideas have been circulating for the third installment. J.K. Rowling, author of the original ‘Harry Potter’ series as well as the spin-off book the film is based on, served as screenwriter for the film and continued to work on the planned sequel.

Yates said, “We’ve done the first [Fantastic Beasts movie], [J.K. Rowling]’s written the second one, she’s got ideas for the third one. No one quite has ownership of them quite yet, in terms of having a relationship with the material, other than the relationship they’ll have with the movie when it comes out.”

The English filmmaker is helming the first film in a spin-off trilogy following Newt Scamander’s adventures in the same universe as the popular ‘Harry Potter’ films. The live-action adaptation of Rowling’s fantasy book stars Academy Award winner Eddie Redmayne as Newt, Katherine Waterston as Porpentina Goldstein, Alison Sudol as Queenie Goldstein, Dan Fogler as Jacob Kowalski, Colin Farrell as Percival Graves, Ezra Miller as Credence, Samantha Morton as Mary Lou, and Jon Voight as Henry Shaw Sr.

The spin-off series follows the exploits of an eccentric magizoologist and writer in New York’s secret society of witches and wizards as they are threatened by the presence of an organization dedicated to eradicating magical folk. It is set 70 years before the events of the original ‘Harry Potter’ films. Newt is the author of the textbook used by Harry and his classmates during their term at Hogwarts.

According to Cinema Blend, Warner Bros. first announced the sequel on October 2014. It was scheduled to be released on November 2018. It was speculated that in order to meet the premiere schedule, cast and crew would have to begin principal photography sometime in the middle of 2017.

‘Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them’ is an upcoming adventure-fantasy film scheduled to premiere on November 18, 2016 in the United States. It is directed by David Yates and produced by Rowling, David Heyman,  Steve Kloves, and Lionel Wigram. Neil Blair, Tim Lewis, and Rick Senat are executive producing.