Let the rumors begin! Former Deadline editor-in-chief Nikki Finke says that Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban director Alfonso Cuarón is in talks to helm Fantastic Beasts.
Finke, who was pushed out of her own site last year but plans to launch her own website soon, wrote on Twitter Monday morning:
I hear Alfonso Cuaron ('Gravity', 'HP/Azkaban') deep in talks to direct JK Rowling's Harry Potter spinoff 'Fantastic Beasts'. Perfect pick.
— Nikki Finke (@NikkiFinke) May 19, 2014
If Cuarón ends up directing, it would be significant news because his work with Prisoner of Azkaban is considered one of the more unique interpretations of the Harry Potter series. Many credit him with making the series more mature following the first two Potter films directed by Chris Columbus.
The director recently worked with Potter producer David Heyman on Gravity which is another Warner Bros. property. In other words, the two have been in each other’s recently-dialed list as Heyman ramps up production on Fantastic Beasts with J.K. Rowling, who’s writing the script.
Funnily enough, Cuarón was asked about the possibility of directing Fantastic Beasts last November. “Akzaban was fun to make, and when I did it, I was invited to do the next one, but I didn’t want to overstay the welcome, because it was such an experience. But now? Why not? I do have stuff that I want to do [next], but a J.K. thing…”
He added that he hadn’t had any talks whatsoever with Warner Bros. But now?
We know many of our readers either loved or loathed Prisoner of Azkaban, so let the debate begin!
Fantastic Beasts will be released November 2016. It is the first movie in a planned trilogy.