Warner Bros. Announces Expanded Creative Partnership with J.K. Rowling

Warner Bros. Announces Expanded Creative Partnership with J.K. Rowling Rowling to Make Screenwriting Debut on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the First in a New Film Series

Partnership Spans All Areas of Warner Bros. Harry Potter Businesses, Including Theme Parks, Digital Initiatives, Games and Visitor Attractions

Plus Studio to Serve as Global International TV Distributor of J.K. Rowlings Upcoming Adaptation of Her Book The Casual Vacancy for the BBC

Burbank, CA and London Warner Bros. Entertainment today announced an expanded creative partnership with world-renowned, best-selling author J.K. Rowling. At the center of the partnership is a new film series from Rowlings world of witches and wizards, inspired by Harry Potters Hogwarts textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and the adventures of the books fictitious author, Newt Scamander. The announcement was made by Kevin Tsujihara, Chief Executive Officer, Warner Bros. Entertainment.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will be an original story and will mark Rowlings screenwriting debut. It is planned as the first picture in a new film series. Set in the wizarding world, the story will feature magical creatures and characters, some of which will be familiar to devoted Harry Potter fans.

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 Newts story will start in New York, seventy years before Harrys 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.

In addition to the film series, Fantastic Beasts will also be developed across the Studios video game, consumer products and digital initiatives businesses, including enhanced links with Pottermore.com, Rowlings digital online experience built around the Harry Potter stories.

The Studios expanded partnership with Rowling also covers the continued expansion of its Harry Potter activities, including the wonderful Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme parks in conjunction with partner Universal Parks and Resorts (currently in Orlando, FL; opening in Hollywood, CA and Osaka, Japan), digital initiatives (including Pottermore), video games, consumer products and visitor attractions.

In addition, Warner Bros. will serve as the worldwide TV distributor (excluding the U.K.) of J.K. Rowlings upcoming television adaptation for the BBC of The Casual Vacancy, her best-selling first novel aimed at adult audiences. This miniseries begins production in 2014.

The relationship will be managed in London by Neil Blair of The Blair Partnership, Rowlings literary agency, and Josh Berger, President & Managing Director, Warner Bros. UK, Ireland and Spain, who will serve as Warner Bros. chief business contact for all J.K. Rowling initiatives going forward.

Rowlings expanded quote regarding Fantastic Beasts is below:

It all started when Warner Bros. came to me with the suggestion of turning Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them into a film. I thought it was a fun idea, but the idea of seeing Newt Scamander, the supposed author of Fantastic Beasts, realized by another writer was difficult. Having lived for so long in my fictional universe, I feel very protective of it and I already knew a lot about Newt. As hard-core Harry Potter fans will know, I liked him so much that I even married his grandson, Rolf, to one of my favourite characters from the Harry Potter series, Luna Lovegood.

As I considered Warners proposal, an idea took shape that I couldnt dislodge. That is how I ended up pitching my own idea for a film to Warner Bros.

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. 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 Newts story will start in New York, seventy years before Harrys gets underway.

I particularly want to thank Kevin Tsujihara of Warner Bros. for his support in this project, which would not have happened without him. I always said that I would only revisit the wizarding world if I had an idea that I was really excited about and this is it.

Notes to Editors:

1) J.K. Rowling is the author of the bestselling Harry Potter series of seven books, published between 1997 and 2007, which have sold over 450 million copies worldwide, are distributed in more than 200 territories, translated into 74 languages, and have been turned into eight blockbuster films. She has also written two small volumes, which appear as the titles of Harrys schoolbooks within the novels. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages were published by Bloomsbury Childrens Books in March 2001 in aid of Comic Relief. In December 2008, The Tales of Beedle the Bard was published in aid of the Childrens High Level Group (now known as Lumos), and quickly became the fastest-selling book of the year. In 2012, J.K. Rowling published her fi

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