'Fantastic Beasts' sequel already in the works
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them won't even be in theaters for another three months but the second film in the Harry Potter prequel series is already in the works.
In a statement, Warner Brothers confirmed to Paste BN that J.K. Rowling will write the script and David Yates, who helmed Fantastic Beasts and four previous Potter films, will direct the project. It's due in theaters Nov. 16, 2018, just over two years after the first installment. A third movie will follow in 2020.
The second film will continue probing the rift between wizards and muggles that eventually led Team Magic to go underground. By the time of the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, wizards were hiding their existence from the outside world.
Potter mania is back at full tilt, with the play The Cursed Child winning an extended run in London. Its script hit No. 1 on Paste BN's best-selling books list after a single day of sales.