Following strong hints he would produce when speaking to Hypable in mid-September, Harry Potter producer David Heyman has now confirmed he’ll produce J.K. Rowling’s spin off surrounding Fantastic Beasts.
Heyman confirmed the news last night to MTV at the premiere of Gravity, which he produced for director Alfonso Cuaron. The deal must’ve come along in the past week or two, as when Hypable spoke to him he was still in talks about the gig.
The long-time Harry Potter producer also provided a couple updates about the Harry Potter spin off which will star Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them‘s Newt Scamander. He noted that Rowling is still working on her first draft of the script. Asked what creatures we would see in the movie, Heyman declined to comment but said “We follow Newt on his adventures” to Entertainment Weekly.
Having Heyman on board for Fantastic Beasts is a hugely important part of this potential new franchise becoming a success. He is responsible for discovering the book before it became popular and decided to turn it into a film with Warner Bros.
Rowling and Warner Bros. surprised the world with their Fantastic Beasts announcement on September 12th. At the time the author briefly described the story by saying it is “an extension of the wizarding world.” She continued, “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.”
A release date for Fantastic Beasts is not set. Before the film can nab a director they will most likely wait for Rowling to finish the script. Then the casting will begin. We don’t expect to see the first movie in theaters until 2016 at the earliest.
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