NEW PROJECT by JKR: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - The Film

[Fhaps]

Originally Posted by HedwigOwl

Exactly. I read recently that she is writing a 2nd book under her Robert Galbraith pen name. Personally, I think the fact that she's writing scripts is a good sign that the HP world is still very much in her mind. There may not be another Harry Potter book, but there very well could be a Scottish book. I think that organizing all her backstory notes and writing for Pottermore may be a natural step toward putting it all together.

In fact, her second Robert Galbraith book, "The Silkworm," will be released this June. Rumor has it she's already working on the third novel

[BenGerman]

I think I'd be sort of surprised if we never saw a return to the HP series. I don't think we'll ever read much more about Harry, but I'd still like it if JKR decided to write a trilogy or something a little shorter on future or past events.

More than anything, I'd love to see a television show. I think they could manage it at 12 episodes a season, 1 season per book. It seems odd that they haven't done it already, with the success of GoT. Maybe they're waiting to get some separation from the films?

[MrSleepyHead]

A couple of big headlines concerning these films and yet not a peep on these forums - very telling, sadly.

So we've already been given a release date for the first Fantastic Beasts film: November 18, 2016! I don't recall any of the Harry Potter films revealing a release date before there was any indication that filming had commenced - much less before news that the script was being written and the film team being assembled! Two and a half years: I wonder how much the fandom will change when more casting and plot news is released.

Speaking of which, there is a rumor that Alfonso Cuarón is in "deep talks" to direct the first film. While I'm taking this with more than a grain of salt, it definitely raises questions about whether Cuarón is the right choice to direct Fantastic Beasts. My biggest qualm with PoA was his dramatic departure from the canon and continuity of the previous films, though I also recognize that PoA has been seen as the savior of the Potter film series. Perhaps I won't be so adverse to Cuarón's Fantastic Beasts given minimal source material, but the 'feel' of PoA still doesn't appeal to me. To a larger audience, though, perhaps it would.

[snapes_witch]

Originally Posted by MrSleepyHead

A couple of big headlines concerning these films and yet not a peep on these forums - very telling, sadly.

So we've already been given a release date for the first Fantastic Beasts film: November 18, 2016! I don't recall any of the Harry Potter films revealing a release date before there was any indication that filming had commenced - much less before news that the script was being written and the film team being assembled! Two and a half years: I wonder how much the fandom will change when more casting and plot news is released.

Speaking of which, there is a rumor that Alfonso Cuarón is in "deep talks" to direct the first film. While I'm taking this with more than a grain of salt, it definitely raises questions about whether Cuarón is the right choice to direct Fantastic Beasts. My biggest qualm with PoA was his dramatic departure from the canon and continuity of the previous films, though I also recognize that PoA has been seen as the savior of the Potter film series. Perhaps I won't be so adverse to Cuarón's Fantastic Beasts given minimal source material, but the 'feel' of PoA still doesn't appeal to me. To a larger audience, though, perhaps it would.

I read a news item Sunday in which Cuaron denied this story. Sorry, as usual I can't find the article now.

[HedwigOwl]

Originally Posted by snapes_witch

I read a news item Sunday in which Cuaron denied this story. Sorry, as usual I can't find the article now.

The Leaky Cauldron had a post with a link to the article, which is below:
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/n...projects-lined

[snapes_witch]

Originally Posted by HedwigOwl

The Leaky Cauldron had a post with a link to the article, which is below:
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/n...projects-lined

thx

[MrSleepyHead]

The day or two after I posted the rumor comes the rebuttal! I had a hunch it would come soon: the rumor was based on a single Twitter statement by Nikki Finke without follow-up or any mention of a source. But it did serve the purpose of igniting some discussion among the fandom (not here, sadly!) about the reception Cuaron would receive from the Potter fans.

[SunUnicorn106]

So excited about this project! Newt is really in for a world tour. I've been reading through the book and he really needs to spend time in Northern and Western Europe, Greece, North America, the Far East and Africa. There's also info about creatures from South America, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Eastern Europe (Russia and Ukraine).

What I'm really interested in seeing is the wizarding cultures in place in the non-eurocentric areas (notably Asia and Africa). And I checked what would be found there and they need to spend some time there at least.

In Africa:
Diricawl native to Mauritius
Erumpent native to many countries in Africa
Fwoopers native to many countries in Africa
Nundu native to East Africa
Runespoor native to Burkina faso
Sphinx native to Egypt
Tebo native to Congo + Zaire
Streeler native to many countries in Africa
Phoenix native to Egypt (+China, India)

In Asia:
Acromantula native to Borneo
Demiguise found in the Far East
Chinese fireball native to China
Fire crab native to Fiji
Kappa native to Japan
Lethifold native to tropic areas (in the book he gives accounts from Papa new guinea)
Occamy native to the Far East + India
Phoenix native to China, India (+Egypt)
Re'em native to the Far East
Yeti native to Tibet

For example, it's mentioned in the books that flying carpets are a popular method of transport in Asia and the Middle East. And Harry Potter wikia says India is a nation big on using them. Presumably Egypt would be too. I just think this would be a really interesting to actually see and I hope Newt actually interacts with the local wizarding communities in these places.

For example many African nations in these times believed in magic with people in different tribes practicing this "magic" openly. Is this people simply ignoring the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy or are they posers? We know that witchcraft in the middle ages in the UK is being presented as actual witchcraft so this would be interesting to see.

There's also the matter of magic in the HP universe being very eurocentric with the use of latin phrases and wands. However, the existence of wordless and later wandless magic seems to imply that these tools aren't necessary to practice magic - they're simply a means to focus magical energy. Therefore also implying that different magical cultures could have different methods of accessing the same magical energy. I hope this is the case because it would be awesome. The magical community is obviously quite globalised though and how you practice magic wouldn't be place-specific as much as it would have to do with what school of magic you were taught.

Basically so many questions... hope the films at least answer some of them.

[IenjoyAcidPops]

It may not be official yet, but it's looking like Yates is going to come back for more witchcraft & wizardry. Variety and a number of other sources are reporting that he's in talks to direct Fantastic Beasts (the first, at least). The man must be a glutton for punishment, and I love him for it.

[BenGerman]

Yeah, I am totally okay with this for a few reasons.

1) Having Yates onboard means that they probably don't want to sway too far from the overall tone of HP.

2) The series was markedly better when he came on board, not to mention the consistency that came with it.

3) They are moving right along, and more JKR is right around the corner.

I do think that, if they were looking for this series (creatively) to feel like its own entity, then this would probably be the wrong move. More than anything, I think JKR wanted to be comfortable with the director in her first film.

[ActingDude17]

Do you guys think he'll stick around for the second and third parts of the trilogy? My instinct is yes, that WB wants a unified vision for the whole.

[IenjoyAcidPops]

I'm inclined to say he'd want to direct the first, but I wouldn't have predicted he'd be back at all, so maybe he would want to stay at the helm for the whole trilogy. As for WB, sure, I imagine they'd want to keep him around...but, as with the HP series, it's Rowling's vision that needs to stay consistent.

[HMN]

Originally Posted by SunUnicorn106

So excited about this project! Newt is really in for a world tour. I've been reading through the book and he really needs to spend time in Northern and Western Europe, Greece, North America, the Far East and Africa. There's also info about creatures from South America, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Eastern Europe (Russia and Ukraine).

We we know that this first installment is based in New York City, so I'm thinking that he'll be focusing on North American based creatures to start. It would be interesting to see him go to different continents through the trilogy.
That would be a great nod to how widespread the HP fandom is, and a way to incorporate some non-english speaking magic culture.

Originally Posted by IenjoyAcidPops

I'm inclined to say he'd want to direct the first, but I wouldn't have predicted he'd be back at all, so maybe he would want to stay at the helm for the whole trilogy. As for WB, sure, I imagine they'd want to keep him around...but, as with the HP series, it's Rowling's vision that needs to stay consistent.

I think it would be an ideal opportunity to shape the tone of the whole trilogy, instead of taking what someone else started and adding your own personality on top of it. But I think it will largely depend on the release schedule, and they try to pack them all into a short period of time. But honestly, dragging them out to one every two years would probably be more lucrative vs one a year for 3 years.

[MrSleepyHead]

Any thoughts on JKR's riddle about Fantastic Beasts?

@jk_rowling, Twitter, Oct. 5, 2014 [email protected] See, now I'm tempted to post a riddle or an anagram. Must resist temptation... must work...

@jk_rowling, Twitter, Oct. 6, 2014 Cry, foe! Run amok! Fa awry! My wand won’t tolerate this nonsense. [...] Something to ponder while I'm away X

Then, of course, came the speculations about an anagram. (Interestingly mostly from Hypable - no word from MuggleNet, Leaky, or Snitchseeker - the strictly Potter sites that seem to lag behind nowadays.)

Then today:

@jk_rowling, Twitter, Oct. 7, 2014 "Newt Scamander's History of New York Fauna: One town, my tale" Warmer. [...] #helpfulhint The solution is the first sentence of a synopsis of Newt's story. It isn't part of the script, but sets the scene.

I have to say that this is only mildly exciting for me. I appreciate JKR's encouragement of the fandom, but solving this anagram seems overly trivial for me. To me, it mostly highlights the desperation of fans for minimal information and the current sad state of the fandom. I'm not sure I can take JKR's ramped up involvement on Twitter: not a Twitter user myself, I will find it difficult to stay updated with Potter news if that becomes her main medium for information.

ETA: A few hours later, we have the answer:

@jk_rowling, Twitter, Oct. 7, 2014 #Hint2 There's only one sentence hidden in the anagram, it is written in natural English and it concerns Newt Scamandar. #3hintsreally [...] An example of something it doesn't say: "I brung bick Harry. U gladd. Me go wurcke now. No speak." [...] Nor does it say: "Reed ths missaj backwurds to diskover storey of ateth Hallow." [...] Nor even: "Eye am havving a larf their's nuthing hid in thair." There is a sentence in normal English about Newt Scamandar there! [...] Typo alert: ScamandEr, not ScamandAr (long day). Now take out 'Newt Scamander' and 'New York' and see what you can make of the rest! #hint3 [...] No invented words, that wouldn't be fair. "Newt Scamander only went to New York to find a Pulkmahjkk". Not that. [...] New hint, because you're coming up with really good suggestions: the sentence begins "Newt Scamander only" #correctedbecauseoftypo [...] Originally Posted by @EmyBemy2 @jk_rowling Newt Scamander only meant to stay in New York for a few hours... #anagram [email protected] YES!!!!!!!!!!!! People, we have a winner!

Not sure what all the fuss was about, to be honest. I don't know why (or if) fans thought the answer would be a revelation, but it was a fun distraction that at least reminded us that Fantastic Beasts will be coming out eventually. Reminded me of the old jkrowling.com.

[Fhaps]

Originally Posted by MrSleepyHead

Not sure what all the fuss was about, to be honest. I don't know why (or if) fans thought the answer would be a revelation, but it was a fun distraction that at least reminded us that Fantastic Beasts will be coming out eventually. Reminded me of the old jkrowling.com.

I wasn't expecting much more than what we got but I think the whole anagram was cool and fun, and I'm happy she did it. I for one am glad she's been interacting more often with fans through her Twitter account. And stuff like this wakes up the fandom and helps us get pumped up for the Fantastic Beasts trilogy

[canismajoris]

Originally Posted by Fhaps

And stuff like this wakes up the fandom and helps us get pumped up for the Fantastic Beasts trilogy

Wait what? Trilogy? Huh... well, hey.

[BenGerman]

For some reason, the little riddle thing has me really excited. That little tidbit was enough to get my creative juices flowing, and wondering what the movie is going to look/feel like.

[Pensieve_Seeker]

The "Newt Scamander only meant to stay in New York for a few hours" is helpful as it lets us know that the entire movie won't be taking place in that location.

[MrSleepyHead]

Originally Posted by Fhaps

I for one am glad she's been interacting more often with fans through her Twitter account. And stuff like this wakes up the fandom and helps us get pumped up for the Fantastic Beasts trilogy

Oh, I agree. I think JKR's involvement on Twitter is great for the general fandom; it's just that I have a hard time navigating it/following it for new information!

And I also agree that something like this invigorates the fandom and Potter enthusiasm, though I think it also underscores a rather sad desperation from the fans.

Originally Posted by Pensieve_Seeker

The "Newt Scamander only meant to stay in New York for a few hours" is helpful as it lets us know that the entire movie won't be taking place in that location.

Not necessarily. As I see it, the excerpt says that Newt did not mean to stay in New York for very long but that he ended up doing so. If the film starts with Newt in New York, it seems likely that it could be the dominant - if not only - location.

ETA: Just found this follow-up 'tweet' from JKR (see how bad I am with this?!):

@jkrowling, Twitter, October 7, 2014 Newt only meant to stay in New York for a few hours. Circumstances ensured that he remained... for the length of a movie, anyway. X

So it seems that Newt will remain in New York (city or state?) for at least the first film.

[BenGerman]

Some news today:

- The series will be at least a trilogy.
- Yates will direct all three.
- They want this to be an ongoing thing with possible branch-offs (in a Marvel kind of style)
- The release dates are 2016, 2018, 2020.

If they are going to do spinoff stuff, I hope JKR writes some source material for it.