JK Rowling's Harry Potter spin-off to be made into film trilogy

'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' to get three films

Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliffe in the Harry Potter films (AP)

Harry Potter author JK Rowling is to make three movies based on her Hogwarts spin-off, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Kevin Tsujihara, CEO at Warner Bros, told the New York Times last week that fans can expect a trilogy about "magizoologist" Newt Scamander after he persuaded the writer to adapt the book.

Published in 2001 and set in New York 70 years before Harry and co come onto the scene, the magical creatures guide was one of the school of witchcraft and wizardry's textbooks.

Rowling has described it as an "extension" of Potter's fantastical world.

"(Tsujihara and I) had one dinner, a follow-up telephone call, and then I got out the rough draft that I'd thought was doing to be an interesting bit of memorabilia for my kids and started rewriting," she said.

"I always said that I would only revisit the wizarding world if I had an idea that I was really excited about and this is it."

The project was first announced in September 2013, with David Heyman (Harry Potter, Gravity) attached to produce. A director and cast have yet to be confirmed.

Rowling wrote Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them for Comic Relief between the publication of the fourth and fifth Harry Potter novels. Other spin-offs have included Quidditch Through the Ages and The Tales of Beedle the Bard.

Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, the Harry Potter films raked in an estimated £4.6 billion at the box office to become the highest-grossing film franchise in history.