'Harry Potter' And 'Fantastic Beasts' Director David Yates Is Channelling Scorsese For His Next Film

There will be no wand-waving or silly incantations in David Yates' future — not his immediate future, anyway.

The Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them director has been deep in the wizarding world for over a decade. His magical journey began in 2007 with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, before finishing out the series with three more films. After a brief detour through the jungle with The Legend of Tarzan, Yates returned to direct the first two movies in the Harry Potter spinoff series, Fantastic Beasts. With two of the five films in the saga down, Yates is taking a break to sit at the grown-up table.

Deadline reports that Yates is in talks to direct an original film for Sony Pictures, with a script penned by Wells Tower. So far, the studio has been tight-lipped about the actual plot of this upcoming film but it's expected to be in the vein of Martin Scorsese's dynamic crime thriller, The Wolf Of Wall Street. Where Scorses's film delved into the highwire crime life of a wall street stockbroker, Yates will explore the world of pharmaceutical sales and the Opioid epidemic.

Filming for the third Fantastic Beasts movie commenced late last year, though it was originally scheduled to film in March of 2020. Delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic meant that production did not wrap until February 2021. The film is currently slated for release in July of 2022. With Warner Bros deciding to have a break between the third and fourth film, Yates was free to pursue another project — albeit one that would leave him available when the time comes to jump back into the wizarding world.

Way back in 2016, Yates expressed his excitement about directing all five films in the ever-growing Fantastic Beasts franchise, leaving him booked and busy for a solid few years. Other than his swing through the jungle, Yates hasn't had time for any non-wizard-related big-screen adventures. So barring the inclusion of witchcraft in his exploration of pharmaceutical drama, this upcoming movie will be quite different from his work over the last decade.

Also, unlike his Harry Potter projects or even Tarzan, it doesn't sound like Yates will be working off any preexisting material. He should have plenty of room to take full control of the world and atmosphere of this film. Back in 2014, Yates directed the pilot of the short-lived FX political drama, Tyrant. Despite its cancellation, the show did receive praise for its immersive scenery and biting drama.