It has recently been announced that the Harry Potter spinoff by J.K. Rowling has begun its filming process, and excitement is certainly in the air. But the question is, will this new project based on the book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them be a hit that fans will boast about, or a pathetic disappointment that will be bashed and shunned for years to come?
Isn’t that essentially what happened with The Hobbit trilogy? The new Harry Potter spinoff is following a very similar pattern to the Lord of the Rings prequel. The Hobbit , a much shorter novel than any of the individual LOTR books, was cut up into three parts, each of which was stuffed with a slew of unnecessary additions to the story. Not surprisingly, J.K. Rowling’s novella Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is little over 40 pages and is also being made into “ at least” a trilogy , the first of which is planned to be released in the year 2016, with subsequent movies coming out in 2018 and 2020.
Even though the new Harry Potter project is being directed by David Yates, who also directed a number of the movies in the original Harry Potter movie series, it doesn’t necessarily mean that quality is guaranteed. Peter Jackson , who also directed the Lord of the Rings trilogy, was the leading cause behind many of the confusing and frankly regrettable narrative choices made in The Hobbit .
Unlike The Hobbit , however, the Harry Potter spinoff is not based on an actual pre-written story, but rather a textbook that Rowling had written for the Care of Magical Creatures course taught at Hogwarts. The movie will follow the life of the author of the textbook, Newt Scamander, on his journey to research the various magical creatures presented in the book. Additionally, the screenplay for Fantastic Beasts was actually written by J.K. Rowling herself and is her first attempt at writing for the big screen. Although she oversaw much of the Harry Potter filming process, she never actually wrote any of the movies. Considering that her first attempt at writing a fictional series happened to be a raging success, there may just be a possibility that she lucks out a second time with this Harry Potter spinoff.
Looking over the facts, it’s hard to say whether the Harry Potter spinoff will be a success or a disappointment, but what can be certain is that it will definitely be a money grab as old and new Harry Potter fans continue to get hyped up about the new film. It’s no doubt that J.K. Rowling has a knack for producing engaging stories, so here’s hoping she hasn’t struck out just yet.
[Photo by harrypotter.wikia]
