A Raw Icelandic "Beast" with Much Beauty

"Once upon a time, there was a hero, although she didn't know it yet. Her name was Bell. And she was destined to confront a Beast..."

There's a new film in the making which promises a very different take on Beauty and the Beast, journeying back to the fairy tale's roots and delving into the Mythic, in a way we haven't yet seen. It's titled, simply, Beast, but the movie promises to be anything but simple.

The Icelandic setting and all-Icelandic cast, along with "The Mountain", (aka Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson) from HBO's Game Of Thrones, ratchet the epic factor up more than a few notches, as does the edginess of the Viking-esque time period of 'the year 800'. 

This is Bell is on a feminine hero's journey, one which would give Theseus a run for his money, so it's no coincidence that the mythic story of one of Theseus' great challenges, defeating the Minotaur at the center of the labyrinth, was a foundation for this movie.

Director Max Gold says:

"When Beast is released, fans can expect to see a darker, Icelandic take on the fairy tale that they’ve come to know and love--told from a feminine perspective.  

"A masculine hero’s journey usually involves the hero leaving home then conquering and/or killing his way through a series of obstacles. But a feminine hero’s journey happens in a different style. For example, Scheherazade tells stories to save her own life. Persephone empathizes with her captor in the underworld to earn some time above ground. The Theseus/Minotaur myth (lots of similarities to Beast) is actually also a more feminine version of the hero’s journey even though Theseus is male. For example, Theseus leverages his enemy’s size and strength to his own advantage. Or when facing Medusa, Theseus literally “reflects” in his shield to find her whereabouts. These are feminine means, which makes sense because Theseus’s father is Poseidon, god of the sea.  

"There’s this new buzz phrase, “strong female protagonist.” Most of the time “strong” just means “put a weapon in the female protagonist’s hand.” That does not make a strong female protagonist, it just makes a female protagonist who carries a weapon. In Beast, the story is told from Bell’s perspective and she uses her own courage and cunning to find her way. She is a deeply flawed character but is also willful. You will find out whether her strong will is enough when she comes face to face with her darker side. And yes, at some point she does also wield a badass sword!"

Apart from showcasing a selection of beautiful visuals here, the best way I could think to introduce you to the film is via a couple of their development films. First "Princess" Bell then Bell the Hero. If you don't have time to watch any of the videos, I still strongly suggest you take a look at the last 30 seconds or so of Bell the Hero (at the 1min35sec mark). It's amazing.Take a look:

While the film is definitely a "darker take" on the Beauty and the Beast tale, it's clear from corresponding with Max Gold, and getting peeks behind the scenes here and there, that every scene, including the bloodier ones, are all there with a purpose.

"Violence is a necessary part of a fairy tale; it always points to the death of potential consciousness that befalls those who don't pay attention. Our Beast is a hoard of energy that saps the land and causes the famine. Without this as an antagonist, the stakes of Bell's journey would be inauthentic.

“Bell’s psychological journey inward is as much a focus as her harrowing quest through the Icelandic wilderness. Bell is fleeing a brutal past; she is contending with a lot of inner demons. She is a deeply flawed character and we don’t shy away from putting those flaws up on screen, but she is also extremely willful. Her will and courage ultimately carry her through.”

From references of The Poetic Edda and Icelandic Sagas, along with nods to Jung and David L. Hart's "The Water of Life: Spiritual Renewal in the Fairy Tale" and labyrinthian metaphors, both with regard to the inner psyche and the forbidding Icelandic wildlands, this Beauty and the Beast retelling has some serious foundation to build it's story on. The attention to storytelling detail is also clear in every frame with both beautiful photography and specific framing that tells a story of its own (a quick look at the embedded videos will have you amazed that such an icy wasteland can be so very stunning!). 

When you see this it's easy to recognize how important the awareness of the Land is in the movie as well. A sense of story grows out of it, just like it does for the Icelandic people, so it made sense when I learned that Max Gold had more than a passing appreciation for it as well.

"One of the patterns I began to notice in Icelandic folklore was that everything ties back to the land. The evil wizards who turn the sand black, or the elves who come from the lava rocks--all of them emerge from and return to the landscape. They are land spirits, or for the more objective they are anthropomorphisms. Take a drive through Westfjörds and when you come back tell me that you didn’t see faces in the rock staring back at you. There is a deep respect for and connection with the land in Icelandic cultural heritage, something akin to that of the original Americans before the Europeans unfortunately wiped them out.  

"Casting the film entirely Icelandic maintains an integrity of place that bleeds through the screen. Rather than rely on special effects, my visual team emphasizes the stunning landscape to catapult the audience head-on into this magic world. 

"My friend Helga introduced me to the Icelandic landscape painter called Kjarval. Kjarval was responsible for re-introducing the landscape to the Icelandic people by way of his paintings. 
Between Kjarval’s paintings and the folklore, the unique and rustic world inhabited by Beast and Bell comes to life. All of that said: not once did we “use” the landscape. Everyone on my team had a running joke: “the landscape used us.” My friend Max was carrying a 4x4 floppy up a hill and he actually blew away in the wind. Henry had to grab him and pull him back down!" 

This video below is slightly longer at over 3 minutes but you get to see a lot of that 'mythic foundation building' I keep referencing. 

Now that you know the context of the film and have seen an exploration of visuals and scenes, I'd like to add the trailer for you to view too. Just be warned: the trailer begins with some violence, which can be a shock if it's the first thing you're seeing. If any form of violence or gore bothers you, just don't watch the first 11 seconds. The rest is worth watching and at times breathtakingly stunning, I promise. (I do recommend you don't have kids around though - this is not for children.):

I've spent quite a bit of time looking into Beast and am more and more impressed the more I learn. The only trouble is that there isn't a guarantee it will be finished... yet. Despite the formidable talent and crew they have on board, this film is still an Indie project and is relying on crowd funding and support to get the picture done.

I'm not the only one who believes this film promises and excellent standard though. Beast was recently named a Kickstarter "Staff Pick" and they're more than half way to their goal. I'm sort of astonished that the monetary goal is so low, considering how high they have the bar set for production but they've already proven they can do a lot with a little. I'd dearly love to see this film complete and we've got just one week to help them make this possible.

This project will only be funded if at least $20,000 is pledged by Tue, Apr 7 2015 1:36 PM PDT. (As of this posting just over $13,000 has been pledged - only $7,000 to go!)

Being a Kickstarter, there are some really great incentives and rewards for helping out with donations. You can donate as little as a dollar or a few dollars and get some extra promotion yourself, and starting at the $30 mark you can receive a high res copy of the film yourself (isn't that close to what you'd pay for a Blu-ray these days anyway?)

The approach to this film is the sort of storytelling we want to see - exploring tales we love in a new ways with intelligence, reverence and excellence. Please consider joining me in supporting Beast. Even a small amount can make a huge difference.


BEAST: A DARKER RE-IMAGINING OF “BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.”
SET ENTIRELY IN ICELAND.
Blind Hummingbird Productions
Beast stars Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, aka THE MOUNTAIN from HBO’s Game of
Thrones alongside a completely Icelandic cast.
Bell is played by newcomer Berta Andrea and Beast is played by Icelandic model Ingi
Hrafn. The film is shot by Cannes-showcased cinematographer, Ed Wu. Production
Designer: Haisu Wang (Steven Spielberg’s THE PACIFIC) Costume Designer: Ella
Reynis (GAME OF THRONES.)
Beast is written and directed by Max Gold, whose previous credits include the Golden
Globe-nominated Arbitrage (2012). Gold’s commercials, short films and video art
installations have received numerous accolades and international festival attention.
Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/maxgold/beast-a-live-action-feature-
film-of-beauty-and-the
Trailer (official site): www.beast-iceland.com
Blind Hummingbird Productions: www.blindhummingbird.com
Twitter: @Beast_movie , @blindhummingbrd
Facebook: facebook.com/BEASTIceland , facebook.com/blindhummingbird

Additional sources: HERE, HERE, & the official website HERE

The Snow Maiden: A Spring Fairy Tale ("Snegurochka")

All images from Snegurochka - Russian animated film 1952 by Soyuzmultfilm

Did you know the opera version (by Rimsky-Korsakov) of this Russian fairy tale's full title is: The Snow Maiden: A Spring Fairy Tale? While the character of Snegurochka is a Winter character, the fairy tale she is most commonly used in (and variants) is actually a Spring tale.

The Snow Girl is, according to Russian folk tale sites, a slightly different tale with a different emphasis, even though many of the elements appear the same.

Here's a little summary of the story of this not-so-straight forward character from Russian folklore, as told by Alexandr Ostrovsky (from RussianFolkArt.com):

It has been winter for fifteen years because the Sun God is angry that Frost and Spring have had a daughter together: Snegurochka. Now on the verge of adulthood, she decides to escape the cold and lonely forest and join the world of the mortals. She is attracted by Lel’s seductive songs but is unable to express her feelings for him. Snegurochka’s friend Kupava is engaged to Mizgir, but when he sees Snegurochka he falls in love with her instead and breaks off the original engagement, leaving Kupava upset and angry at her betrayal.

She seeks solace in the arms of Lel. Meanwhile Snegurochka begs her mother to grant her the capacity for human love and warmth. At a mass spring wedding, Snegurochka professes her love for Mizgir as a ray of sun strikes her and she melts away. The Sun God is appeased by her death and all celebrate the coming of spring. 

Spring, love and... death. 

Is it talking about how love - or lust - at first sight, isn't usually a lasting state, or that it isn't nourishing for the soul? Or that love, after changing you - sometimes beyond recognition, heals?

Seen in this light, it's not too distant a story from Persephone, is it? I haven't seen Snegurochka and Persephone linked except in visuals like the one at the right, though (which shows the Snow Maiden crowned and veiled with her mother's - Spring's - flowers).

The concepts - and character - have been explored in plays, movies, ballets and, of course, the opera, which alone suggest that something fundamental about the human condition and journey resonates with people in this seasonal tale.

Happy First Day of Spring to all those in the Northern Hemisphere (and Happy First Day of Autumn to our fairy tale folk living below the equator!)

Timeless Tales Magazine Issue #4 Open for Submissions

Announcing a paid publishing opportunity from Timeless Tales Magazine:

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Starting today, Timeless Tales is accepting short stories for their summer issue. 

Submissions must be retellings of the Greek myth "Perseus and Medusa" and follow the guidelines presented on T.T's submission page. 

Writers will be published on the website and have their story narrated for the magazine's audio edition. 

You only have until March 23, so don't procrastinate. 

This is T.T's fourth issue. Previous themes have included:

• "Puss in Boots"
• "Pandora's Box"
• "The Twelve Dancing Princesses"

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Timeless Tales Magazine is "bringing new life to old classics" with retellings of myths and fairy tales. 

Timeless Tales Magazine is now a partner of Once Upon A Blog and will be releasing notices, updates and announcing publishing opportunities here. To contact the Editor for T.T. directly, please send all correspondence via the "Contact Us" form on the magazine's website HERE or through our partnered Facebook page HERE.

Jack's Castle: No Giants Allowed

by Skrufor

It's my little guy's birthday today and as a surprise, I built him a castle.

Like many kids his age, he loves Minecraft, that he can create worlds (literally - OK, "virtually") and the bizarre and crazy-fantastic "mythology" of the various creatures (Creepers, Endermen, Ghasts, Mooshrooms etc) as well as seemingly endless magical possibilities.

So, I built him a castle. In Minecraft. (He'll discover it later today when he explores his world with his friend who is coming over for gaming and cake - hopefully!)

OK, so really it's just a very large stone box with some turrets... (this Mama is kind of new to Minecraft), so it's more like this, but without the clouds and beanstalk):

... but there are a few surprises in there, some better-than-basic fortifications and a lot of signs saying "Keep out! (until January 20th, that is)".

One sign will stay, though: "No Giants Allowed" because every Jack should eventually have his own castle, (and stop invading the neighbors) don't you think? ;)

Here's a little Minecraft-built adventure featuring Jack and the Beanstalk, or should I say "Steve" and the Beanstalk. (Steve is Minecraft's everyman character.) It was made a few years ago for a Minecraft "sky limit project contest" (a few people ended up creating Jack and the Beanstalk-based builds), and this builder even made a little teaser-trailer for their created world. It's pretty neat to see someone created the fairy tale, then "played" it as an adventure.

It begins at Jack's little house, where he discovers a beanstalk has grown overnight. He then climbs it into a cloud-land where he finds the Giant's house. (Note: it's a bit dim there because everything is so very, very large compared to "Steve", that regular lights sources don't reach very far, making for many dark corners.

Cue the dramatic adventure music!

Because in Minecraft, there really ARE castles in the sky to explore...

Edit FTNH 1/21/15:

This posted late because of time and birthday-related things, though I've kept the date as it was originally scheduled. You'll be glad to know Jack (my Jack) was completely delighted with his castle and has moved in, making it his new base. He's even made himself a personal crest. Oh and yes: he kept all the signs. ;)

While we're on the subject of Minecraft and fairy tales I wanted to mention that this would be a worthy study subject for those interested in pop culture that uses myth and fairy tales. Part of why I think Minecraft is so popular is because it has a unique component of creatures (both hostile and not) that can change and affect your world. As you create your own living story, these creatures become part of it too, though you can't control them the way an author can in a book. You have to work around their intrinsic natures (programming), which no one knows the complete extent of to date, since it's constantly changing and adapting, the more people play and create. The more you know about them and adapt defenses or uses for them, the more creative potential is unlocked and the more interesting your story gets. (Note: if anyone knows of a fairy tale student or scholar writing a thesis or treatise on this, please let me know. Minecraft has become such a useful tool for education and art - including in schools - I think it might be important that we don't ignore the storytelling and ongoing live tales happening here as well.)

Have a look at this Minecraft fairy tale-type world creation below. It's far more cinematic looking than the Jack build featured above and was made using a special animation program in combination with Minecraft called Mine-imation, which is why there is controlled camerawork and nice lighting, and it gives you an idea of the sorts of things people are doing in their spare time (most of them amateurs). Oh, and this was created a couple of years ago. Since there have been a HUGE number of "mods" and texture packs created for Minecraft since, one can only imagine what's possible. Bring on the fairy tales!

Note: Minecraft Jack and the Beanstalk pics posted were all apparently created for the Sky Limit Project Contest a few years ago. It just wasn't clear who had created which ones.

BREAKING NEWS: Maleficent Spoiler Thread Discloses Interesting Use of Fairy Tale, Myth & Legend (and, Of Course Spoilery Things) Note: Any spoilers here are hidden

So here's an interesting development.

The IMDB message boards are buzzing today as spoilers are leaked in an effort to put to rest any concerns people might be having about the movie (aka damage control from the giant "investors concerned" headlines that have been prominent the last coupe of weeks), particularly in turning Maleficent into some benign, essentially good person who's misunderstood and killing the reason she's resonated with people for so long.

 While there are a ton of spoilers in the thread there are some very interesting fairy tale, myth and legend notes included as well, which I will get to in a minute. First - where this is coming from.

Here's info about the source:

I happen to work at Disney corporate and have not only been authorized to "leak" this info here to gage audience response, but will be "leaking" even more in the next couple of weeks.  

He's also one of the attorneys on the film. 

Here's the reason Disney authorized an underground "leak":

someone private messaged me to ask why i'm posting this, and i got permission from my supervisor to address it here, in the interest of fairness and disclosure.  

the studio has asked me to do a minor form of damage control and clear up some prevalent misconceptions about the film, on a grass-roots level - "grass-roots" in their opinion meaning the imdb message boards. there have been some very negative outlooks and expectations being spread about the film around the internet - which i really have no problem with - freedom of speech and freedom of expression being in fact my legal speciality - however, my goal here is to create more positive word-of-mouth for a film i think really warrants the exposure and deserves to get a good vibe. 

Here's the IMDB thread link. Please note that THERE ARE A LOT OF SPOILERS in the pages at the IMDB thread! Read at your own discretion. While the entire plot, the twists etc aren't fully revealed, there's a lot more here than you usually see:

Maleficent (2014) : 2 weeks to first dragon reveal! SPOILERS...

Possible spoiler: (Highlight to read below! There are crown images at the head and tail of the possible-spoiler sections)
♛___________________________________________________________________________♛
Yes - they're talking about Maleficent as a dragon. Remember there has been speculation about the one we've seen looking rather avian? Well that's because it is. And that one is NOT the Maleficent dragon. We'll be seeing Maleficent-as-dragon in the last marketing push before the film is released.

IMDB POSTER:When you say "maleficent's dragon" do you mean her dragon form and that she turns into a dragon not just her crow?DISNEY CORPORATE GUY:exactly.this was a fairly recent decision to include the maleficent dragon at the end. investors recently got scared off because the first four drafts only had Diavel transforming into the dragon at the end, and in the latest draft, he even sacrificed his life so that Maleficent could escape at the end...but the investors, from what i've heard, thought that this would be a major let-down for fans hoping to see the big dragon fight at the end, and watching Maleficent become the villain they remembered her to be. So...they tacked on a second ending, and, after Stefan dies, Maleficent now does turn into the giant dragon and fight prince philip, etc. the model of the Maleficent dragon i've seen looks amazing...similar in texture to the Witch-King's dragon-thing in LOTR, but with the features of the classic Maleficent dragon... 

♛___________________________________________________________________________♛

Now, about the fairy tale relevant stuff. It's pretty awesome. (Try not to squee too much.) I really hope this is addressed in the Art of/Making of book when/if (please!) it's released. I'm using excerpts, cobbled together to not give away too much, even if you do highlight and read everything, so if it seems a little disjointed it's because you're missing some of the between conversation. (You can read it all on IDB of course.)

Note: ANY MOVIE SPOILERS WILL BE MASKED so you can choose whether or not to read them.

DISNEY CORPORATE GUY:

Woolverton actually admitted recently to using the Welsh tale of Culhwch and Olwen as inspiration, even though the characters are so dramatically different...the story of Stefan and Maleficent was actually inspired by Spenser's The Faerie Queene inasmuch as i have heard at the conference table (specifically Arthur the Golden Knight's pursuit of his would-be lover, the Faerie Queene). Quite a sly, subtly move...considering the Faerie Queene is such an obscure piece of lit...

♛ also, as far as i know we do NOT see her in the forbidden mountain castle - ♛that part's been rewritten to keep her more of a creature of the woodlands, of the realm of faerie...in line with Spenser and other myths of course...♛although i do admit that seeing her in that castle would have been badass!

Maleficent... is still a tragic villain at the end, constantly defeating herself by giving in to aggression and fear and hatred. 
From what i've seen, this has the potential to be quite powerful - it takes the Wicked-type reimagining of a wicked witch to a level Wicked was afraid to go - by choosing to have Maleficent end up AS the villain. 
But after all, isn't one of the main reasons to see a movie like this anyway? The whole point is to see WHY someone went bad, NOT to see that they were really just a nice, peace-loving fairie all along, and misunderstood and given a bad smear campaign after their eventual defeat. 
By the end of the film, we should be rooting for Maleficent to walk away from it all, and keep peace in the land, but alas, she chooses poorly. And becomes the physical manifestation of the thing she most truly hates. ♛
Iron is deadly to Maleficent and her people, but of the human inhabitants only Stefan really knows that...the faeries do too, and use this to their advantage..when they feel they have no other alternative.

Now you know the classic animated ending and there has been worry/concern/speculation about how true this reinvention is going to be. I think people who read a lot of fairy tales and understand myth will be pleased with the final direction they took - though it was apparently difficult to choose. The reasons and pop culture influences on why are below (and they might surprise you) and they hint at an interesting new direction for Disney storytelling (at least in their films):

as far as i know -- they restructured the story to make it much more non-linear - now, rather than appearing about half-way into the film, the christening scene pretty much opens the film...we are introduced to Maleficent as she is presented in Sleeping Beauty, and then go back in time to learn, as Paul Harvey would say it..."The Rest of the Story." 
♛i'll admit, it is a risky move for the studio to kill her off at the end...but hopefully it will now come off more as a shakespearean tragedy to some degree...her death, while sad, is portrayed as justified...and brought about by her own lack of self-regulation... 
the studio and investors were torn between having a Wicked-ish "happier" ending and a darker one where the protagonist really does turn into the villain and even dies at the end. 
I'll tell you what made the difference - and very ironic, in one sense - the ending of AMC's Breaking Bad and the amazing popularity of that show. 
Before that, the prevailing attitude among studio heads and investors had been that audiences wouldn't really be that interested in seeing a character turn completely evil without some sort of redemption at the end. After Breaking Bad all that changed, and now Disney is trusting (fingers crossed!) that families and mainly kids, will be intrigued, entertained, and not turned off by such an ending. Plus, Disney also doesn't have to deal with the problem of ret-conning the original film at all - the original film, now, can be viewed as a fairly truthful film, but a propaganda piece made by the winners to villainize Maleficent. 
Trust me, it's a much more powerful film now than it was shaping up to be before. 
But thanks to Breaking Bad, and the incredible viewer response, Disney's decided to move the film into more risky territory and hope they get lucky in doing so. 
I think they will :)♛

So there you have it - along with a lot more, if you'd like to read it HERE.

Personally, I'm in the yay category on this news. It's much more in line with true fairy tale sensibilities and more in line with the messages I want my son to be exposed to. People get hurt, make bad choices and there are repercussions. While there are Disney movies that say this, the endings tend to water down the message drastically. I like the risk they're taking on this one!

The Sochi Olympics Are Going to be Epic! (Or Mythic. Or Both.)

You may be wondering why the heck I'm posting a trailer for the Olympics on a fairy tale blog. But then, if you're asking that - you haven't seen it. It's epic, mythic and like something out of Asgard (or maybe Niflheim is more accurate), Middle Earth or Mount Olympus... well, hey isn't that appropriate? Take a look:

Savage North cover by Wayne Reynolds

Frost Giant Jarl for Dungeon Magazine
(Artist Unknown)

I kind of love that the ad is all about conquering nature instead of about "being the best" or putting down other countries of athletes. This focus, while at first seeming grandiose (no - it is NOT a trailer from a new Lord of the Rings movie), the spot attempts to capture just how epic a thing it is that these athletes do at the Winter Olympics. And, in my opinion, kudos to the team that created this for doing so*. This is where it started - with the gods watching and mortal man defying nature, his own nature and the limitations the gods had thought they'd put on humans.

Myth and fairy tale are often linked in very cold regions. Sometimes it's hard to tell where a Norse fairy tale ends and the myth begins. The Frost Giants of legend make appearances in fairy tale, as do ice kings, queens, maidens, trolls and giants.

The chilling voiceover makes it clear: this is a story of epic proportions we're telling here; one future generations will talk about forever. Here's the transcript, narrated at full  grandmaster intensity, by British actor Charles Dance (who plays Tywin Lannister on Game of Thrones**):

At the Wall (Game of Thrones Comic #7 cover)
Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister & Ghost

I am the dreadful menace.

The one whose will is done.

The haunting chill upon your neck.

I am the conundrum.

I will summon armies.

Of wind and rain and snow.

I made the black cloud overhead.

The ice, like glass below.

Not you, nor any other.

Can fathom what is nigh.

I will tell you when to jump.

And I’ll dictate how high.

The ones that came before you.

Stood strong and tall and brave.

But I stole their dreams away.

Those dreams could not be saved.

But now you stand before me.

Devoid of all dismay.

Could it be? Just maybe.

I’ll let you have your day.

And can't you see all those fairy tale creatures living in this setting, ready to challenge our modern day heroes? While our heroes wear technologically enhanced athletic gear for speed (and survival) and to gain a prize, are the heroes of our fairy tales seeking treasures in the ice and glass mountains so different? Granted, it's unlikely these people will lose their heads, their fortunes or their families (though they often skirt the edge of mortality) but it's not unheard of for these heroes to win a "princess" (or two) after the trial, or gain the key to the treasure vault of their city (sometimes literally!).

Too often I think we consider ourselves far away from all these old stories, from fairy tales and from myth but really, we're just the modern version of it.

And I love that this ad reminded me of all that.

And I'll be tuning in to the BBC (who have some of the best coverage of all the nations competing at the Olympics IMHO) to watch the athletes go "North of the Wall" and conquer Winter.

Bring on the 2014 Games!
(And snow, please. Sochi could REALLY use a heavy dose of snow over the next few weeks...)

* The trailer was directed by Tomasz Bagiński, polish director and animator. His film "The Cathedral". was nominated for an Oscar a few years ago.

** I wonder how long it took them to decide that there's no way they could have Mr. Dance say "Winter is coming.." without having this epically intense trailer dive bomb into a parody? Although it would have been funny - I'm glad they didn't (but just wait for the memes..!)

J.K. Rowing to Write "Fantastic Beasts" Movie

Does it count as fairy tale news?

Considering the book in question Ms. Rowling is basing her first movie script on (as in, she's actually penning the script) is very heavy in referencing traditional folklore and mythology (with a Rowling twist, of course), I'm going to say this is absolutely of interest to the fairy tale community and am running with it. :)

You know the book. Most of you probably have a copy in your personal library and are lamenting the fact there isn't more to the collection but fear not: there is more from the world of Harry Potter on its way - from Rowling herself.

Announced on her Facebook page yesterday (9/12/13):

Warner Bros. announced on 12th September 2013 that J.K. Rowling would be making her screenwriting debut with 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them', the first in a new film series which is part of their expanded creative partnership with J.K. Rowling. The films will be inspired by Harry Potter’s Hogwarts textbook of the same name, and will feature the book’s fictitious author, Newt Scamander. 

“It all started when Warner Bros. came to me with the suggestion of turning 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' into a film. I thought it was a fun idea, but the idea of seeing Newt Scamander, the supposed author of 'Fantastic Beasts', realized by another writer was difficult. Having lived for so long in my fictional universe, I feel very protective of it and I already knew a lot about Newt. As hard-core Harry Potter fans will know, I liked him so much that I even married his grandson, Rolf, to one of my favourite characters from the Harry Potter series, Luna Lovegood. 

As I considered Warners’ proposal, an idea took shape that I couldn’t dislodge. That is how I ended up pitching my own idea for a film to Warner Bros. 

Although it will be set in the worldwide community of witches and wizards where I was so happy for seventeen years, '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. The laws and customs of the 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, seventy years before Harry’s gets underway. 

I particularly want to thank Kevin Tsujihara of Warner Bros. for his support in this project, which would not have happened without him. 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.”

(Emphasis in bold is mine.)

Did you notice? It said "FIRST IN A SERIES". *happy dance*

Happy Friday 13th!

Fairy tale bonus of the day:

For more Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, along with Hogwarts' student scribbles, go check HERE.