Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them... the movie.

There's news on the J.K. Rowling front! According to this New York Times article, a deal has been made with J.K. Rowling to create new movies! And for the first time, Rowling will become a screenwriter!

Her movie, planned to be the first in a new series, is an adaptation of the Hogwarts textbook "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," a book that extends the world of Harry Potter wizardry to a different character named Newt Scamander. "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' is neither a prequel nor a sequel to the Harry Potter series, but an extension of the wizarding world," says J.K Rowling. "The laws and customs of hidden magical society will be familiar to anyone who has read the Harry Potter books or seen the films, but Newt's story will start in New York, 70 years before Harry's gets underway."

But wait! There's more.

Warner Brothers studio (who's releasing this film and who also released all the Harry Potter films) said that the agreement would also allow them to create new attractions and initiatives connected with its existing Harry Potter theme park at Universal Studios. Also, in television, the deal also makes Warner Brothers the global distributor of a BBC miniseries based on "The Casual Vacancy," J.K. Rowling's first (and, as of now, only) novel for adults.

To read the complete New York Times article, click here.

Happy Birthday, J.K. Rowling

Today J.K. Rowling turns 48-years-old! And Harry Potter turns 33-years-old!

Joanne Rowling (J.K. Rowling) was born in July 1965 in England. In college, she earned her degree in both French and Classics, and then worked as a researcher at Amnesty International. She started writing the Harry Potter series during a delayed train trip (Manchester to London King’s Cross), and during the next five years, she outlined the plots for each book and also began writing the first novel.

Joanne then moved to Portugal, where she taught English as a foreign language. In 1992 she got married and in 1993 she gave birth to a daughter (Jessica). When the marriage ended, she and Jessica returned to the UK to live in Edinburgh, where Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone was eventually completed. The book was published under the name J.K. Rowling. The “K”, for Kathleen, was added at the request of her her publisher, who thought that a woman’s name would not appeal to the target audience of young boys.

Today, J.K. Rowling lives in Edinburgh with her husband and three children. Her latest book is her first novel for adults! It's called The Casual Vacancy and was published in English in September 2012.

Check out J.K Rowling's website here!

Pottermore Announcement

J.K. Rowling made an exciting announcement in London this morning. Starting in October, her seven Harry Potter novels will be sold as e-books through a new website called "Pottermore."

Pottermore is more than just a website for which to buy ebooks. It's going to be an interactive site, promising to "immerse users in her world of wizards, combining elements of computer games, social networking and an online store." J.K. Rowling also has written 18,000 words of new Potter material! (Source: Today Books)

The Pottermore page appeared online a few weeks ago with nothing but the words "Coming soon..." on it. It has been the subject of intense speculation since.

According to Today Books, "the project unveiled in London lets Potter fans delve into the world of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Sections let users shop for wands in Diagon Alley, travel to Hogwarts from the imaginary Platform 9 3/4 at London's King's Cross train station and be sorted into Hogwarts school houses by the perceptive Sorting Hat. Along the way are wand fights, games and new information about characters beloved around the world, including Harry's reviled relatives, the Dursleys."

You can also follow Pottermore on Twitter for all the latest info!

Harry Potter movie

Have you seen the new Harry Potter movie yet?

If you need to re-read the book, click here to put a copy on hold: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Opening Date

Big news!!! Universal Studios has unveiled the opening date of their new and very much anticipated theme park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

The park, which is part of Universal's Islands of Adventure, will officially be opening their towering castle gates on...

June 18th!!!!

But! If you're really, super, extra excited and you just canNOT wait until June 18th, the attraction will be open beginning May 28th for park guests who buy a special Harry Potter Travel Package (which are still available here under "tickets and vacation".)

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will provide its visitors the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the magical world of Harry Potter. Guests will be able to visit iconic locations found in the books and movies, including Dumbledore's Office, the Defence Agency Against the Dark Arts classroom, and the Gryffindor common room.

Rides will include the Dragon Challenge and the Flight of the Hippogriff.

About the park, J.K. Rowling says, “The plans I’ve seen look incredibly exciting, and I don’t think fans of the books or films will be disappointed.”

Hey, if J.K. Rowling isn't disappointed, how can any of us be?