Why 'Harry Potter' fans are freaking out about 'Fantastic Beasts' sequel title

— -- The title for the sequel to "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" was revealed today and it has "Harry Potter" fans going crazy with excitement.

The sequel, expected to hit theaters next year, is called "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald," Warner Bros. announced. And the title gives clues on exactly where the second installment of this film series is headed.

"Harry Potter" fans already know that "Fantastic Beasts" is a spin-off of sorts to the famed wizarding film series.

In fact, Harry Potter studied a book written by Newt Scamander called "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" while he was in class at Hogwarts. The first movie follows Scamander and the magical creatures he collected and documented.

"The Crimes of Grindelwald," however, is centered on Gellert Grindelwald, played by Johnny Depp, who is Albus Dumbledore's longtime rival.

In this film, the Hogwarts headmaster, portrayed by Jude Law, tries to track down Grindelwald after the wizard escapes custody. To help him in his search, Dumbledore enlists his former student and magizoologist Scamander, played by Eddie Redmayne.

Author J. K. Rowling, who wrote the screenplay for the first film, also lent her talents to "The Crimes of Grindelwald," which also features Zoe Kravitz as Leta Lestrange, a pure-blood witch now engaged to Scamander's brother.

The sequel, "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald," also has a special release date -- Nov. 16, 2018. It's nearly 17 years after the initial "Harry Potter" film, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" hit theaters.