Fantastic Beasts sequel: New details revealed

Filming on the sequel to JK Rowling's Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them has begun, with more details about the plot and characters revealed.

Warner Bros has said the second of five films in the Harry Potter spin-offs will include some "surprising nods" to the author's original stories "that will delight fans of the books and film series".

Johnny Depp will play dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald

It will see the return of Eddie Redmayne as wizarding world magizoologist Newt Scamander along with Katherine Waterston as auror Tina Goldstein, Alison Sudol as her sister, Queenie Goldstein, and Dan Fogler as Jacob Kowalski.

Johnny Depp plays powerful dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald while Jude Law takes on the role of Albus Dumbledore - one of Rowling's most beloved characters from the Harry Potter series - decades before he becomes headmaster at Hogwarts.

Jude Law takes on the role of a young Albus Dumbledore

War And Peace actor and Burberry model Callum Turner, previously said to be in talks about a role, has now been confirmed to play Theseus Scamander, a war hero who is Newt's older brother.

The new film, which will once again be directed by David Yates, expands Rowling's magical world, moving from New York to London and Paris.

JK Rowling's latest story opens in 1927

In a statement, Warner Bros said: "JK Rowling wrote the screenplay for the film, which opens in 1927, a few months after Newt helped to unveil and capture the infamous dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald."

It continued: "The adventure reunites Newt with Tina, Queenie and Jacob, but his mission will also test their loyalties as they face new perils in an increasingly dangerous and divided wizarding world."

The production is being filmed at Warner Bros Studios Leavesden, in Hertfordshire, where all the Harry Potter instalments were filmed, and is scheduled for release in November 2018.

(SKYNEWS)