J.K. Rowling’s First ‘Harry Potter’ Spinoff Finally Started Filming

Fans all over the world are delighted to learn that J.K. Rowling’s first Harry Potter spinoff finally started filming Monday in Leavesden. Leavesden is the home to Warner Bros. Studios in London, where most of the magic of Harry Potter’s world came to life. For those who haven’t been following the film so far, it’s based off of a companion novel to the famed series called Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

The Harry Potter spinoff filming began under the direction of David Yates, who is the genius behind the last four films in the franchise: Order of the Phoenix, Half Blood Prince, and Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2.

Newt Scamander will be played by Golden Globe-winner Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything). He will also be joined by such prominent actors and actresses as Katherine Waterston (Inherent Vice), who plays Scamander’s love interest, Alison Sudol (What to Expect When You’re Expecting), Dan Fogler (Fanboys), Ezra Miller (The Perks of Being a Wallflower), Jenn Murray (Angel), Samantha Morton (John Carter), and Colin Farrell (True Detective), who is the most recent major cast member to join the recruits.

Warner Bros. films made a deal with Rowling that she would be allowed to write the screenplay if she would help the studio to stay afloat with revenue. This will be her first major screenplay, but no one questions her writing talent.

Unfortunately, this short novel is not a sequel or even a prequel to the series, but avid readers may recognize the name of the novel from one of Harry’s textbooks during his first year at Hogwarts. Still, it takes place within the magical world we have all come to know and love, which Rowling described in a statement made previously about the movie.

“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.”

Her mention of “Newt” refers to the main character of the story, Newt Scamander, who will later become known as one of the most celebrated magizoologists in the realm. It follows his adventures as he searches out magical creatures throughout the world. Though most of the film will take place in London and surrounding areas, a small amount of the action occurs in New York, where Scamander makes a pit stop on his journey.

The film is set to air on November 18, 2016. That seems like a long time to wait, but the producers and stakeholders in the film promise that this Harry Potter spinoff will be worth the wait.

[Image via HNGN.com]