5. Hiring David Yates To Direct - Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them
Peter Jackson eat your heart out. You may have turned a thin fantasy volume into a nine-hour epic, but J.K. Rowling's going one better. 2016 sees the release of a film inspired by a 42-page paperback released to raise money for charity which is set to kick off a new trilogy. To top that Jackson's going to have to make a ten-part series out of a note J.R.R. Tolkien once wrote on the back of a napkin. Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them is Rowling's first entry into the world of screenwriting and will tell the tale of Newt Scamander, the author of the in-universe schoolbook Harry Potter and co. use. Given that the series' creator's shown a real love of the wider scope of the world she created (Pottermore has proven a delight for Potheads) this shouldn't be a bad thing, but one recent decision has thrown the whole project into questionable waters. David Yates, the guy who brought us the last four Harry Potter films, is set to direct. So we can expect a grey colour scheme, distinct lack of lighting and a series of cut and paste action sequences. Oh woopee. Rowling has stated it's her desire for the film to stand separately from the boy wizard series, which makes the continued attempts to get that directors involved perplexing (before Yates was brought on board Prisoner Of Azkaban's Alfonso Cuarón was the favourite to direct).
