J.K. Rowling says “Fantastic Beasts” will be a five-film franchise

Warner Bros. is betting that fans are going to like what they see when “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” debuts next month, as the “Harry Potter” prequel is apparently just the beginning. 

During a live-streamed Facebook fan event for the new film, author J.K. Rowling revealed that prequel will actually be the first of a five-film series.

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Rowling said that she was “pretty sure” there were going to be five. 

“We always knew it was going to be more than one movie. We knew that from the start, and a trilogy is a kind of placeholder,” she said. “I’ve now done the plotting properly, so we’re pretty sure it’s going to be five movies.”

Rowling later took to Twitter to dispel any confusion about the total number, responding to a fan, “Not ‘at least’ Five. Five movies.”

Rowling also confirmed via Twitter that she serve as screenwriter for the film series, revealing that she was currently “putting the finishing touches” on the script for the second film. The first “Fantastic Beasts” film marks Rowling’s debut as a screenwriter. 

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“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” takes place in 1920s -- some 60 years before Harry Potter was born -- and follows British wizard Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) as he explores the previously unseen wizarding world of the United States. 

The film will be released November 18, 2016. 

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