So I believe I may have whinged about originality being dead in Hollywood on this blog a couple of months ago. That sentiment still stands. There's just so many movie adaptations hitting the big screen it's just not funny ... it probably is very funny (hilarious, even) to those being paid the big bucks for these adaptations though.
But there it is; there's very little reason to read these days. Why bother when in a couple of years it'll be a massive blockbuster (and possibly destroying your favourite characters in the process)?
Still, all that didn't stop me getting super excited when I read about the upcoming Harry Potter spinoff that is going to hit the big screen in the near future. The Harry Potter fan girl inside of me squealed so loudly at this news.
The best bit about this spinoff is that it's based on the life and Adventures of Newt Scamander. For those of you who aren't hardcore Harry Potter fans, Newt Scamander is the author of one of Harry's school books, Fantastical Beasts and Where to Find Them. The only mention of him in the books is only in the first book when Harry is first getting his school books (that is purely from memory, and I could be way off on this).
So while Fantastical Beasts and Where to Find Them is a spinoff it's going to be a whole new story. It's something we haven't read or seen before ... kind of. I'm sure you're all aware about there only being so many stories etc etc. It's going to be a new character set seventy or so years earlier in a world that we already know and love. And the best part is that J.K.Rowling will be writing the script herself. Yep, there's going to be that same old Rowling magic to the movie and we can see if she can write movie scripts (because let's face it, she can write well even if the subject matter isn't to your liking). Then there's a fact that Rowling loves this character and had already created a rich back story for Newt Scamander. This isn't just Warner Bros and Rowling to cash in and trying to earn some more money from the Harry Potter franchise (well, ok, that's probably exactly what Warner Bros is trying to do). Fantastical Beasts and Where to Find Them should actually prove to be a great movie that doesn't have to rely on expensive special effects to be a hit. Kind of like The Hobbit to The Lord of the Rings.
So yeah, I'm super excited about this spinoff. But I'm also wondering if we can expect a similar Quidditch Through the Ages spinoff in a few years time and that'll work story wise. I mean, a Quidditch movie would be awesome. But not if it's going to have to be documentary style.
The important thing to remember is that the Harry Potter franchise isn't dead yet. There's clearly possibilities for spinoffs, and Warner Bros is definitely exploring those options.
Peace out,
Fox.
