ST HELENS-BORN director David Yates will return to the world of Harry Potter when he takes the reins for a spin-off trilogy of the megahit series.
Yates, 51, who was involved with the last four of the Potter films, will direct the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them trilogy.
With the screenplay penned by JK Rowling, the films are based on the 2001 book of the same title which the Harry Potter author wrote in aid of Comic Relief.
Oscar-winning Theory of Everything star Eddie Redmayne has been tipped as the frontrunner to play lead role Newt Scamander in the series.
The film will be set 70 years before the events of the Harry Potter series, starting in 1920s New York.
The first film of the trio is set for release in November 2016.
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