If I was British and I just won an Oscar, I’d probably want to go play in the Harry Potter-verse for a few years myself.
That’s just what it appears Eddie Redmayne’s gonna do in FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM, the J.K. Rowling-scripted spinoff of the hilariously successful first eight films. Redmayne will be playing the author of the titular textbook, Newt Scamander, as he goes about his work as a “magiczoologist” in NYC a good 70 years before Harry first stepped on Platform 9 3/4.
Redmayne hasn’t officially signed on, but is the current favorite of the studio, and the role “is (his) to lose.” If talks fall through, their next pick is FIRST CLASS and DOFP’s Beast (and MAD MAX: FURY ROAD scene stealer), Nicolas Hoult. One thing that may hold Redmayne back is that the series is expected to be “‘at least’ a trilogy”, which he may not want to commit too, given his recent Oscar glory (and the, hmm, questionable notices he got for his wonderfully out-there work in the similarly fantastical JUPITER ASCENDING).
Rowling insists that the film is “neither a prequel nor a sequel to the HARRY POTTER series,” but obviously, the franchise’s appeal (and Rowling’s first attempt at writing a screenplay) makes this an extremely high-profile and appealing project for Warner Bros. It makes sense they’d want someone proven to lend some legitimacy to the idea of milking the franchise for another three-plus films, and Redmayne has both the clout and the chameleon-like talent (check out his creepy role in HICK to see just how far from LES MIZ and THEORY OF EVERYTHING he can go) to hold this new series up.
Plus, didn’t he already look a little Potter-y in the Hawking glasses? Anyone??
But, don't worry youngsters, they got you covered: they’re butressing the film with a new roster of core kid actors, two girls and two boys, so presumably, the hunt is on for the next Radcliffes and Watsons of the world.
How do you Potter-philes feel about Redmayne (or Hoult) as Newt Scamander?
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM hopefully leaves out the Honey Boo-Boo family on November 18th, 2016.
