Earlier this month, the internet overflowed with rumors regarding a possible eighth Harry Potter book, and the prayers of self-proclaimed “Potter-Heads” appeared to be answered. Many Harry Potter fans have long yearned for a new book and were not quite ready for the adventure to come to a close. With the bulletin, however, came a level of expected skepticism. The fans seemed divided on the news, and those doe-eyed and hopeful pro-book fans were severely disappointed. Others, however, who had no expectation that the rumor held any root in reality, were pleasantly surprised. While there will not be an eighth book depicting the futures of Harry, Ron and Hermione, Warner Bros., announced that there will be a continuation of the wizarding world by way of a screenplay penned by none other than J.K Rowling.
In the first novel of the Harry Potter series, the protagonist studied a book entitled “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” In 2001, J.K. Rowling put forth a physical 60 page copy of the book mentioned in the series. The book contains an alphabetical listing of all the magical animals who reside in the magical world and is “written by” the fictional character Newt Scamander. This extension of the Harry Potter world is currently in the making to be a major motion picture backed by Warner Bros., the movie studio that has been the home for every movie pertaining to the boy-wizard. The film will be vastly different from the pace Potter fans are used to. Setting the time-period seventy years before the Harry Potter series, the motion picture will begin in New York and follow Newt Scamander on his quest to record all beasts that contain any sort of magic or hold any power in the wizarding world. The movie will also lack the main protagonists the Harry Potter series followed. It will, however, introduce new characters as well as expand upon minor characters mentioned in the original seven books.
Since the conclusion of the series, J.K Rowling has been forever fickle about continuing the adventures. The author revealed in a 2010 interview with Oprah Winfrey that she still had enough ideas for a continuation of the wizarding world and may be able to write an eighth or even a ninth book to continue the series. However, the British Book Award recipient has, in other interviews, stated that she wishes to fulfill the integrity of the series by leaving the story alone. A movie adaption that does not directly affect the main Harry Potter plot seems to be a compromise between these two attitudes. J.K Rowling has promised that the movie “[will contain] the laws and customs of the hidden magical society that will be familiar to anyone who has read the Harry Potter books or seen the films.”
The books have sold over 450 million copies worldwide and have been translated into over 60 languages. The Harry Potter film industry earned over $7 billion globally, becoming one of the highest grossing film series in existence. The series has spawned video games, art, and even several amusement parks stationed in the United States and Japan. The new installment of the Harry Potter world will expand throughout all of these platforms, but there is no foretelling the impact that “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” will have on the fan base. All Potter fanatics may do now is hope that this continuation will be just as enchanting as the original stories.
