“Fantastic Beasts” in the works for over a year, Rowling has full control of screenwriting

To add to the recent news that Warner Bros. will be producing a new film series based on the life of Newt Scamander, fictional author of the book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, titled Fantastic Beasts, The Hollywood Reporter is now reporting that the Rowling deal for the film series has been in the making for OVER ONE YEAR!

Kevin Tsujihara, who convinced movie star Ben Affleck to don the Batman cloak for Warner Bros., also convinced Ms. Rowling to partner with Warner Bros. once again to create this new film series.

According to Ken Kleinberg, Rowling’s Los Angeles-based attorney:

Kevin handled himself really well. He was a great listener, and he conveyed sincerity and concern.

For J.K. Rowling to have creative control may not seem like a far fetched idea since she created this magical world from the beginning, but dealing with Hollywood for creative control could prove to be a daunting task for the author. However, talks are moving toward obtaining the producer for the film series, and David Heyman, who produced the eight Harry Potter films, is likely the lead runner for the job.