David Heyman Writes: “We Have a Whole New Adventure Beginning”

David Heyman has been a crucial part of the Harry Potter cinematic world since the beginning. It was, after all, his secretary at his production studio who first read Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and urged Heyman to consider it for a film. Now, as fans wait eagerly for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them to come to the big screen, Heyman has written an article for the Telegraph, detailing the magical journey that was making both Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts – and to look forward to the new adventure that is beginning.

Years after the final Potter films, Heyman still has fond memories of the years spent bringing Harry’s world to the silver screen. At its conclusion, Heyman admits,

Most of all, I was just sad at the prospect of not getting to play again in that beautiful universe Jo had conjured…it seems inevitable we’d look for a way of revisiting Jo’s wizarding world. After all, there was still so much magic left to explore.

In 2013, Heyman says that despite his other successful projects, he felt “the Potter itch return.” Together with Lionel Wigram, he started examining the supplemental works J.K. Rowling had published and found that they, and Rowling, were intrigued by the same character:

It never ceases to amaze me just how vivid the world in which Harry Potter lives is for her; it’s one of the reasons her books are so adored. So if she’d written as Newt Scamander 15 years ago, of course she’d worked out what kind of a man he would be and what his history was.

In the article, Heyman addresses the worry many had when the film was announced: that Fantastic Beasts was little more than a money grab. He assures readers that with Rowling’s already busy schedule writing the popular Comoran Strike series and co-writing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, there was only one reason she would take on writing a film: “Fantastic Beasts was made because Jo had a story she wanted to tell – and a brilliant one at that.”

As for what to expect from the film, Heyman assures us there will be some similarities to the things we loved in Potter: “The themes in Fantastic Beasts are universal,” he writes.  “I never saw [the Harry Potter] books as ‘children’s literature’. They are the stories of outsiders and [of] the value of tolerance and friendship. They show that it is OK to be different. And in today’s society, those ideas are as relevant as ever.”

Heyman says that Eddie Redmayne was their “first and only” pick for Magizoologist Newt Scamander since “he’s smart, funny, utterly British, and immensely sympathetic.” He also praised Redmayne’s support of all those auditioning for the remaining roles in the film and the way he encouraged them.

Heyman also discusses the rest of the cast and filming locations, detailing how they connect to this new magical adventure, and reveals that Rowling was “more involved in this project, both as a producer and writer, than any of the Potter films.” He reminisces on the fond memories he has with his family, both on the Potter films and through Fantastic Beasts filming. In fact, his son has a small part in Fantastic Beasts!

Most of all, Heyman assures fans that they are in for a wonderful experience when they see the movie:

The world, and the beasts lurking within it, look fantastic. It’s a sometimes thrilling, sometimes funny, and ultimately very moving film. I am incredibly proud to have been a part of it…we have a whole new adventure beginning.

You can read Heyman’s entire article here.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is in US theaters on November 18.

From now until November 24, if you purchase the Harry Potter movies, you can save $8 on a ticket to see the newest wizarding adventure!