J.K. Rowling has written a "wonderful script" for the Harry Potter spin-off 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'.
The 49-year-old author's latest offering - which is set in New York, 70 years before Harry and his wizard friends arrive at Hogwarts school - is said to be in its "early stages", with filming set to begin next year.
The plot follows explorer Newt Scamander as he travels the world before penning the titular textbook 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' - which Harry later studies during his time at the wizarding school.
The franchise's producer David Heyman has once again teamed up with director David Yates, who helmed the final four Potter movies in the series, and confessed he is "really excited" about the project.
Speaking at the London premiere of his latest movie 'Paddington' yesterday (23.11.14), he said: "Jo [Rowling] has written a wonderful script.
"It's early stages. David Yates is directing and we start filming next year. I'm just really excited about it."
Heyman previously described working with Rowling on the spin-off - which is expected to be made into "at least" a trilogy - as a "joy".
He said: "She is so smart, and her turn of phrase, the precision of the language she uses, is a joy to behold."
'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' is set to hit cinemas in November 2016.

Fergie suffered a wardrobe malfunction as she performed at the American Music Awards (AMAs) last night (23.11.14). The 39-year-old singer perfotmed on the roof of a party bus on stage at Los Angeles' Nokia Theatre to showcase new single 'L.A. Love (La...

Bob Geldof has urged people to delete and re-download the Band Aid 30 single.
The Boomtown Rats frontman is pleased 'Do They Know It's Christmas Time?' single - which is raising money to fight Ebola in West Africa - has topped the charts in 61 countries after selling over 300,000 digital copies in a week but is concerned the falling price of music means it won't make as much money as the 1984 original, which made £8 million for famine relief thanks to sales of 3.7 million.
He said: "In 1984 a single was £3.50, today it's 99p...That worries me.
Even if you already have it, delete, download again."
"We need to sell 300% more than we did then [in 1984] to even begin to make up the cash figure."
A physical CD version will be released on 8 December and the organiser admitted this was a "bright spark" to raise more money.
The track - which features stars including One Direction, Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith - outsold the rest of the top five singles in the UK combined with over 312,000 copies shifted but Bob admitted he was nervous about the response the song would get.
He explained to BBC Radio 1: "Did I expect it? Yes I expected it but did i expect it in such vast, willing numbers? No I didn't.
"You just can't assume anything... You don't know if the audience is interested in this.
"Certainly they like the artists but are they interested in seeing the artist do just one or two tracks?"

Britain's Prince Harry praised Lewis Hamilton as "an absolute legend" yesterday (23.11.14).
The 30-year-old royal was among the spectators at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix when the 29-year-old British driver secured the F1 World Championship for the second time and was one of the first people to congratulate the sportsman.
Standing in the pits with Mercedes executives at the Yas Marina circuit, Harry was handed a radio to communicate with Lewis and told him: "Lewis thank you very much for not making the British public sweat.
"You are an absolute legend. Well done mate."
As well as Harry, other stars watching the action in Abu Dhabi at the weekend included Lewis' girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger - who was visibly emotional as her boyfriend picked up his trophy - former Spice Girls singer Geri Halliwell and soccer legend Edgar Davids.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister David Cameron took to twitter to congratulate Lewis, who previously scooped the World Championship in 2008.
He wrote: "Congratulations to @LewisHamilton on winning the #AbuDhabiGP and his second #F1 world title. A great day for British motorsport.(sic)"
And Nicole used the social networking site to express how "proud" she was of her boyfriend, who she has had an on/off relationship with since 2007.
She wrote: "Congratulations babe for winning the #2014F1WorldChamionship !!! I'm soooo proud of you!!! #GodisGood #abudhabiGP (sic)"

Liam Payne admits his life is "strange".
The One Direction singer is regularly stunned by the way his life has changed since finding fame on UK TV show 'The X Factor' in 2010.
Asked if he ever thinks his life is "insane", he said: "Most days at some point will cross my mind, this is a little bit strange. Yesterday was one of those days, we went to Universal Studios, I've been coming since I was about six, so about 12 times, then at the end of the day, everybody went home and we just got the theme park to ourselves, it was pretty crazy.
The 21-year-old star and his bandmates - Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan - always travel by private jet, and though the 'Steal My Girl' singer insists the luxury craft isn't very "glamorous", he did admit one of their biggest extravagances on the plane is eating fast food on "posh" china.
Speaking to Scott Mills on 'BBC Radio 1's Official Chart' show, he said: "It's not as glamorous as you think. The word jet is the most glamorous thing about it. There's loads of crisps, Haribo and rubbish food.
"We always order McDonald's [on the plane] and it comes on a plate - they won't bring it out just in a bag, they serve it up on a plate. They get it before and we just sit and eat McDonalds like little children, not ordinary plates,posh plates."
Despite travelling in style, the group try not to sleep on the plane in case they fall victim to a prank.
Liam added: "If you fall asleep, your face is going to get sharpied. Harry carries a sharpie [marker pen] everywhere so if you fall asleep you get something drawn on your face or a few choice words on your arm."

Miley Cyrus celebrated her 22nd birthday with a penis-shaped bucking bronco. The controversial star - who is known for her twerking antics - threw a Happyland-themed birthday bash at Factory Nightclub in West Hollywood on Saturday (22.11.14) where she...

David Beckham believes his wife Victoria "really understands" him.
The retired soccer star was left devastated when an ankle injury ruled him out of the 2010 World Cup tournament and as soon as she heard the news of the problem, his fashion designer spouse - with who he has children Brooklyn, 15, Romeo, 12, Cruz, nine, and Harper, three - broke down with emotion because she knew how upset he would be at the consequences.
He said: "The doctor came over to me and he gave me the phone. Victoria was on the phone and she said 'What's just happened?' And I said to her 'It's done'. And she said, 'What do you mean it's done?'
"And I remember, I'll never forget she just burst out unconditionally with emotion and crying, when someone just kind of can't get their breath. She literally handed the phone to one of the boys and the boys were upset.
"That was one of the points when I knew I had a wife that really understood me and really understood why I was doing it. She knew how much it meant to me, she knew how much playing in a fourth World Cup meant to me. That was a tough time for me."
During his stints playing in Italy for A.C. Milan, David, 39, embarked on cooking lessons and loves making meals for his family.
Speaking during previously-unseen scenes from 'David Beckham Into the Unknown' which are featured in the new DVD release of the documentary, he said: "When I was in Italy the culinary course was one of the things I always wanted to do. So I had the time and I thought, why not? The kids love Italian, so I can make fresh pasta from scratch.
"Victoria is easy. She loves vegetables and she loves salad, so Victoria's easy.
"I grew up with pie and mash from the East End of London. So that's still my favourite meal. Pie and mash is what I was brought up with."
'David Beckham Into the Unknown' is out on DVD now.

Nicole Scherzinger burst into tears when her boyfriend Lewis Hamilton clinched the Formula 1 World Championships yesterday (23.11.14).
The 36-year-old singer couldn't hide her emotion after the Mercedes racer triumphed in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as she greeted him back in the pit lane with a big kiss and began blubbing before he showered her in champagne to celebrate his victory.
Nicole was seen kissing the driver on the helmet as he finished his final lap in first place to win his second ever F1 world championship, and the former Pussycat Doll took to her Instagram account to post a picture of the magical moment and reveal she was "so proud" of him.
She wrote: "lewishamilton Congratulations babe for winning the #2014F1WorldChamionship !!! I'm soooo proud of you!!! #GodisGood #abudhabiGP
"Ahhh!!! My man lewishamilton #2014F1WorldChampion #soblessed (sic)"
Lewis later thanked Nicole, his family and crew for their help throughout the season.
He said: "I'm lost for words. I want to say a big, huge thank you for all the fans coming out all this way, it made all the difference this weekend, and to my family and my mum back home, and to my team."
As well as Nicole, Lewis received many congratulations from other big names including Britain's Prince Harry, who called the 29-year-old star an "absolute legend" on the Mercedes team radio.
British Prime Minister David Cameron also paid tribute to the driver, describing it as a "great day for British motorsport".
He wrote on Twitter: "Congratulations to @LewisHamilton on winning the #AbuDhabiGP and his second #F1 world title. A great day for British motorsport. (sic)"
Lewis, who defeated his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg to clinch his second world title, waved the Union Jack flag around as he drove around the Yas Marina circuit in a victory lap.

Author Michael Bond braced himself for the worst with 'Paddington'.
The 88-year-old has admitted he was anxious about seeing his furry friend brought to life on the big screen as he feared the film may be awful.
He explained: "Before, there was a certain amount of trepidation. I was worrying that I'd be lying awake thinking: 'I've let Paddington down.'
"Letting other people take control of your character was like letting your child go off in somebody else's car. You hope for the best, but brace yourself for the worst."
The acclaimed author penned the first novel about the character in 1958 and has since released 25 further stories, but the 2014 StudioCanal adaptation is the first time the iconic character has appeared in a feature-length film.
Thankfully, the movie - which features Nicole Kidman, Peter Capaldi and Ben Whishaw as the voice of Paddington - has proved to be a hit with the writer.
He gushed: "From the word go, I was totally hooked on it. It's one of those films where you come away thinking about it. There's so much in it that's magical. I'd give it full marks."
Despite enjoying the movie in the end, Michael admits he got angry at producers during the making of the film for pretending there was an immigration office at Paddington station where the bear is found by Mr and Mrs Brown, played by Hugh Bonneville and Sally Hawkins.
Talking to The Sunday Telegraph, he added: "Their first reaction is to take him off to the local immigration people, but I said: 'No way! There's no immigration at Paddington station.' I hate writing about things that don't exist."

Channing Tatum will produce, direct and star in 'Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock'. The 'Foxcatcher' star and his Free Association producing partner Reid Carolin are searching for a writer to adapt the novel written by Matthew Quick - who also penned 'Silv...

Joni Mitchell believes she is a better musician than Bob Dylan.
The 71-year-old singer explained that she is far more creative than her fellow music maker, despite being in a male-dominated industry.
When questioned about comparisons to the 'Blowin' In The Wind' crooner, she stated: "I am much more original musically, and a much more original thinker."
The star - who is known for her hit singles including 'Blue' and 'Both Sides Now' - continued to slate the music business as a whole, scalding the "oppressive" men who "exploit" musicians.
She said: "I'm a woman in a man's world. There are hardly any women in my business. There are oppressive men and exploitative men."
However, the acclaimed musician later acknowledged her love for men, and admitted she enjoyed being on tour with men during her younger years.
She added: "It's all male-dominant, and you're always with them. I'm on the road with 21 guys, and I love men's company, don't get me wrong. Even when they're stupid little boys, I still like them. I mean, love the sinner, hate the sin."
The artist - who released her last studio album, 'Shine', in 2007 - also asserted she was never a hippie, despite being known for tracks like 'Woodstock', and explained she was only in it for the fashion.
She told The Sunday Times newspaper: "The hippie values were not mine, they were naive, they had no place, they were childish: the politics were stupid.
"I was in it for the costume show."

Rita Ora wants to be a "friend" to 'The Voice' contestants.
The 23-year-old singer initially found it difficult to critique the hopefuls on the show because she isn't as experienced as fellow coaches Sir Tom Jones, Ricky Wilson and will.i.am and didn't want to come across as too egotistical.
She said: "In the beginning I can tell you that, for me, to coach the contestants was only difficult because I know I'm only a 23-year-old girl on my second album.
"I didn't want them to think that I was Miss Know It All. I wanted them to think I'm a friend they can ask questions to.
"It was really important for me to come across as the girl who was just giving a hand instead of the girl who was telling somebody what to do."
And Rita has learned a lot about herself from doing the show.
She told OK! magazine: "I loved it. I learned a lot about what to trust in my gut. It brought me back to trusting myself again, which was awesome."
The 'I Will Never Let You Down' hitmaker particularly enjoyed the experience because it was so "funny".
She added: "'The Voice' has been incredible. All I can say is it's one of the funniest things I've ever done, so make sure you check it out because it's going to be great. The talent is immense."