Rowling conjures up screenplay for spin-off Potter film

Harry Potter author JK Rowling is making her screenwriting debut for a spin-off film based on a minor character in her stories about the teenage wizard.

The film, called Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, is the first in a planned series inspired by the textbook of the same name given to pupils at Hogwarts school, and will feature its fictitious author, Newt Scamander.

Writing on her Facebook page, Ms Rowling said: “It all started when Warner Bros came to me with the suggestion of turning Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them into a film.