‘Harry Potter’ Spin-Off: New Hogwarts Trilogy In The Works As J.K. Rowling Talks About More ‘Harry Potter’ Books

A Harry Potter spin-off project appears to be moving forward with Eddie Redmayne in the lead, but there could be something even bigger in the works for fans of Hogwarts.

This week, news circulated that Redmayne will star in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a Harry Potter spin-off set 70 years before the events in the Harry Potter books. As the Hollywood Reporter points out, the triology is based on the textbook used in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry’s Care of Magical Creatures class.

The trilogy will focus on the book’s author, Newt Scamander, and author and Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling noted that the new series isn’t connected to Potter himself.

“Although it will be set in the worldwide community of witches and wizards where I was so happy for 17 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,” she said.

The Harry Potter spin-off is still in the development stages, and sources say Eddie Redmayne won’t commit until he reads the script.

While Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is being put together, fans of Harry Potter may have something even bigger to look forward to. This week, J.K. Rowling discussed the possibility of an eighth Harry Potter book, telling Matt Lauer that she isn’t working on it right now but could one day consider it.

“I have always said never say… well, not never say never,” she said. “I’ve always said I’m not going to say I definitely won’t because, because I don’t see why I should say that. You know, it’s my world and I might choose to step back into it. And in a way, I am stepping back into it.”

Rowling noted that she is busy with the current Harry Potter spin-off, but could possibly revisit the series in some other way.

“I’m stepping back into that world, writing the script for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” Rowling noted. “So, you know, that door is always opened to me. But I think Harry Potter 8, as in what happened next to Harry, Ron and Hermione — I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

While it’s not clear if fans will ever see anything new from Harry again, they won’t have to wait much longer for the Harry Potter spin-off. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is slated for release in 2016.

[Image via Fandango]