JK Rowling’s celebrated Harry Potter franchise is gearing up for its latest chapter, the release of the film and printed screenplay of Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them as well-known printer Griffin Press confirms it will not be printing the title.
Ben Jolly, Griffin Press managing director confirmed to ProPrint the book printer will not be producing the next JK Rowling fantasy tome, however did not disclose why.
Griffin’s lack of involvement with the worldwide book release comes as a surprise after the South Australian printer produced Rowling’s 320-page script of The Cursed Child theatre production earlier this year.
The screenplay, set for release on November 18 is a script adaptation of the Hollywood blockbuster also slated for release next month. Rowling published her own version of the Harry Potter spin-off in 2001, printed and bound by UK printer CPI Group.
Australian editions of the original Fantastic Beasts book were also printed overseas at CPI Group. It is unknown if the highly-anticipated film script will be printed in Australia or also shipped from the UK.
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Despite the last instalment of the original Harry Potter series published nearly ten years ago, Rowling’s wizard phenomenon has crept back into mainstream popularity with the release of the Cursed Child.
Fresh editions of the seven-part series are still printed by Griffin Press for the Australian market, however a limited edition range of Harry Potter full-colour picture books have reached Aussie shores after being printed and bound in China.
The illustrated books are published yearly, and the second colourised edition, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was released earlier this month.
It is unknown why the publisher – Bloomsbury Childrens – decided against printing in Australia, however print and production costs in China are often far cheaper than local prices.
ProPrint also contacted Hachette, the publisher responsible for the Fantastic Beasts screenplay in Australia, however no one was available for comment.
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