J.K. Rowling & Warner Bros. Expand Creative Partnership

BURBANK/LONDON: Warner Bros. Entertainment has expanded its creative partnership with Harry Potter scribe J.K. Rowling, spanning areas such as theme parks, digital initiatives, games and visitor attractions.

A centerpiece to the deal is a new film series from Rowling inspired by Harry Potter's Hogwarts textbook "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" and the adventures of the book's fictitious author, Newt Scamander. The original story will mark Rowling's screenwriting debut. It is planned as the first picture in a new film series and will be set in the wizarding world.

In addition to the film series, Fantastic Beasts will also be developed across video game, consumer products and digital businesses.

The pact also covers the continued expansion of Harry Potter activities, including the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park, digital, video games, consumer products and visitor attractions.

Warner Bros. will also serve as the worldwide TV distributor, excluding the U.K., for Rowling's upcoming television adaptation for the BBC of The Casual Vacancy, her best-selling first novel aimed at adult audiences. Production on the mini-series will start next year.

“Although it will be set in the worldwide community of witches and wizards where I was so happy for seventeen years, ‘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,” said Rowling.  “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.”  (Expanded Rowling quote at bottom of release.)
“We are incredibly honored that Jo has chosen to partner with Warner Bros. on this exciting new exploration of the world of wizardry which has been tremendously successful across all of our businesses,” said Tsujihara. “She is an extraordinary writer, who ignited a reading revolution around the world, which then became an unprecedented film phenomenon. We know that audiences will be as excited as we are to see what her brilliant and boundless imagination conjures up for us.”