Victoria book binder McPherson’s Printing Group won the coveted contract to print JK Rowling’s latest book, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them after industry assumption the job would automatically go to Harry Potter-printer Griffin Press.

The contract was shifted to the Opus-owned printer after speculation Adelaide printer Griffin Press would complete the job. It comes as a surprise as Griffin Press was the printer cherry-picked to produce JK Rowling’s previous eight books, including recent phenomenon The Cursed Child.

Harry Potter author JK Rowling’s newest instalment is a printed screenplay based off the blockbuster movie released on the same date. Rowling published an original version of the Harry Potter spin-off in 2001, printed and bound by UK printer CPI Group.

McPherson’s printed the 290-page hard-cover books, distributed across the country to bookstores in conjunction with the movie opening over the weekend.

The highly-anticipated film script has generated a similar buzz to Griffin Press-produced book The Cursed Child, which hit bookshelves worldwide in July, and is slated to be the year’s best-selling book.

ProPrint contacted McPherson’s for comment about the book however the printer was unable to discuss a specific contract.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was published through Hachette Australia, the group also responsible for publishing JK Rowling’s entire anthology of books.

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