Disney’s Impossible Creatures Movie: A Promising Harry Potter Replacement With A Major Advantage

Disney is developing a movie based on Katherine Rundell’s Impossible Creatures, and it has a potential edge over HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter series. Both projects are based on popular book series, and Impossible Creatures is already drawing comparisons to Harry Potter due to the author’s similar rise to fame as J.K. Rowling.

I recently stumbled upon the Impossible Creatures books, and they’ve totally captured my imagination! They follow a young boy named Christopher who finds this incredible, magical place called the Gilmouria Archipelago, filled with all sorts of amazing creatures. The first book came out in 2024, and the second, The Poisoned King, followed in 2025. It’s been incredible to watch the author, Rundell, become the first UK author to hit number one in both the UK and the US since J.K. Rowling – over 4 million copies sold worldwide is seriously impressive!

Considering how popular the Impossible Creatures books have become – similar to the Harry Potter series – it’s easy to see why Disney quickly bought the rights to make a movie. This new series has the potential to become a major hit, but it will be competing with HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter TV show, which is a tough challenge. However, Disney has a strong position to succeed.

Impossible Creatures’ Original Author Will Write The Disney Movies’ Screenplays

Cover art illustrated by Ashley Mackenzie

One of the hardest parts of turning a book series into a movie or TV show is staying true to the original story. The significant differences between the Harry Potter books and films are a major reason why the series is getting a new television adaptation. However, Disney’s Impossible Creatures might avoid this problem, as the author, Rundell, is writing the screenplays herself.

HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter TV series, written by Francesca Gardiner and Andy Greenwald, faces a different challenge. While HBO has pledged to stay true to the books, a perfect adaptation is unrealistic. Adapting novels to the screen always requires some changes. With Impossible Creatures, however, viewers can be confident that any alterations to the story or how it’s presented come directly from the original creator.

J.K. Rowling Is A Producer, Not Writer, For The Harry Potter TV Show

Though Impossible Creatures currently has an advantage over HBO’s Harry Potter series, the show’s writers aren’t working in a vacuum. J.K. Rowling is a producer on the series, giving her more control over the adaptation than she had with the films. This could mean a more faithful adaptation of the books, but her involvement is complicated by ongoing controversy surrounding her views.

Whether J.K. Rowling’s personal opinions will impact how well the new Harry Potter films do is still uncertain. However, it’s much more likely that Impossible Creatures will avoid similar issues. Katherine Rundell’s new fantasy series is a refreshing, hopeful, and generally uncontroversial story. With Rundell continuing to lead the creative process, it could offer a positive alternative for fans looking for something different from Harry Potter.

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2025-11-12 03:48