Steve is currently walking the floor of the Licensing Expo in Las Vegas, and he’s spotting a ton of first looks at some big upcoming movies, including two highly anticipated fantasy adaptations. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a sort-of spinoff of the Harry Potter franchise, with a screenplay by J.K. Rowling herself, and The BFG is an adaptation of the Roald Dahl book of the same name directed by Steven Spielberg. And we’ve got the first licensing logos from both, though it's important to note that these are on display for licensing purposes, so this may not be the final marketing artwork that will accompany the films when they're released.
With such a wordy title, it’s clear that the emphasis is on the Fantastic Beasts portion of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. David Yates, who helmed the final four Potter films, is set to direct the Warner Bros. picture, and Eddie Redmayne was recently cast in the lead role of Newt Scamander. The film takes place in the same wizarding world as Potter, but is set several decades before the events of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Also of note: it takes place in New York City, so we’ll finally get to see the American side of the Potter world.
Check out the logo below. Filming begins later this year, and the movie is slated for release on November 18, 2016.
As for Spielberg’s The BFG, well it very much looks like the filmmaker is returning to family film territory, but the logo also has a bit of an A.I. vibe. Mark Rylance (Wolf Hall, Bridge of Spies) takes on the role of the titular giant, with Bill Hader, Rebecca Hall, and Jemaine Clement rounding out the cast of the fantastical picture. Production is currently underway in anticipation of the film’s July 1, 2016 release date.
For more of our Licensing Expo coverage, click on the links below:
- BATMAN V SUPERMAN Official Synopsis Revealed
- BATMAN V SUPERMAN: 16 High-Resolution Batmobile Pictures, Plus Specs
- BATMAN V SUPERMAN: 12 Pictures of Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman Costumes
- First POWER RANGERS and GODS OF EGYPT Logos Revealed
- More ASSASSIN'S CREED Movie Posters Spread Their Wings and Fly
- THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS: 8 Posters Reveal Illumination's New Animated Film