JK Rowling reveals Fantastic Beasts films will end with rise of Lord Voldemort
JK ROWLING has revealed the five Fantastic Beasts films will span 19 years, ending with the rise of Lord Voldemort in 1945.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them trailer
The first Harry Potter prequel - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - will be released next week on November 18.
The film stars Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander and is set in New York in 1926, long before the birth of Harry Potter.
But fans are already starting to wonder where the story, also penned by Harry Potter author, will go next.
Earlier this week, Rowling confirmed that a young Albus Dumbledore will feature – as will the evil wizard Grindelwald, who is almost certainly played by Johnny Depp.
Last night Rowling revealed yet more details at the New York premiere of Fantastic Beasts.
Speaking to Variety, the author said: “Originally, to tell you the truth, we said a trilogy as a placeholder.
“I think we wanted to be honest with people that it was going to be more than one movie, but we were feeling our way.
“And then there came a point in the draft of the story where I said to David [Yates], ‘you know David this feels like five movies’.
“It’s ambitious to tell it in five to be honest because we’re spanning 19 years, but I can see an arc to five so that’s how it happened – it came out of the material.”
Potter fans quickly worked out the fifth film will come to an end in 1945 because the first film is set 19 years earlier in 1926.
Apart from marking the end of the Second World War, this is also the year that Dumbledore defeated the evil wizard Grindelwald.
Winning an epic duel, the future Hogwarts headmaster became master of Grindelwald’s Elder Wand, one of the Deathly Hallows.
The same year, Tom Riddle - the future Lord Voldemort - leaves Hogwarts after having served as Head Boy at the school.
Armed with information obtained from Professor Slughorn, the dark wizard heads off to Albania to create his first Horcrux out of Rowena Ravenclaw’s diadem.
No doubt Potter fans will be very pleased that the final prequel film will be linked to the main Harry Potter series.
But will Rowling stop there or will there be further films about Voldemort? Could the films include Harry Potter’s parents time at Hogwarts and lead up to his downfall in 1980?
While that is currently unknown, Rowling also suggested that young Dumbledore would be openly gay and honest about his infatuation with Grindelwald.
Dumbledore in Fantastic Beasts
Speaking at the press conference for the film, she said: “Obviously it’s a five-part story, so there’s lots to unpack in that relationship.
“I will say you will see Dumbledore as a younger man, and quite a troubled man, because he wasn’t always the sage.
“As far as his sexuality is concerned, watch this space.“
Dumbledore is yet to be cast for the second Fantastic Beasts instalment, although the fan favourite is Jared Harris, son of Richard Harris who played the wizard in the first two Harry Potter films.