Fantastic Beasts sequel confirmed amid boffo sales for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

As interest surges once againin Harry Potter's wizarding world, movie studio Warner Bros. has unveiled plans for the next film set in the Potterverse with a script by creator J.K. Rowling.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them doesn't hit theatres until November, but a sequel is already in the works for the budding franchise and slated to open onNovember 16, 2018.

Rowling, who made her screenwriting debut with the upcoming Fantastic Beasts, will write the sequel,Warner announced onWednesday.

The next instalment "moves deeper into an increasingly dark time for the wizarding world, where [magizoologist Newt Scamander] and our other heroes have to decide on their allegiances," according to the studio.

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The project will see Rowling team up once again with director David Yates, who helmed the final four Harry Potter films as well as this fall's Fantastic Beasts, which isset to hit theatres Nov. 18.

A third film is expected to follow in November 2020.

The news comes as the new two-part play Harry Potter and the Cursed Childhad its official openingat the Palace Theatre in London last week and also extended its run through the end of 2017.

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The book version of the Cursed Child script, published worldwide on Sunday, has sold more than 2 million copies in North America alone in its first two days, according to publishing firm Scholastic.

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Meanwhile, British publisher Little, Brown announced the script based on a story by Rowling and co-written by Jack Thorne and John Tiffanyhad sold more than 680,000 print copies in its first three days.