A Harry Potter spin-off is said to be moving forward with British Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne in the lead role. Doctor Who star Matt Smith is a fan favorite for the coveted part.
A Harry Potter spin-off is getting closer to being a reality and fans of the franchise could not be happier. Eddie Redmayne, 33, who won the Academy Award for Best Actor earlier this year for his performance in The Theory of Everything, is reportedly in pole position for the Newt Scamander role in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them that is expected to be released on November 18, 2016.
According to Variety, which broke the story Friday, 25-year-old English actor Nicholas Hoult is also being considered for the part, but Redmayne remains the first option. The Jupiter Ascending actor is a rising star in Hollywood, and many believe that he could bring a lot of depth to the character.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will be directed by David Yates, who worked on the final four movies of the Harry Potter series, and author J.K. Rowling will make her debut as a screenwriter with this new trilogy. Warner Bros. will produce the film. Here is what Rowling had to say about the hotly anticipated project:
“Although it will be set in the worldwide community of witches and wizards where I was so happy for 17 years, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” is neither a prequel nor a sequel to the “Harry Potter” series but an extension of the wizarding world. The laws and customs of the hidden magical society will be familiar to anyone who has read the Harry Potter books or seen the films, but Newt’s story will start in New York, seventy years before Harry’s gets underway.”
The Harry Potter spin-off is keeping the famous author busy, and supporters should not expect anything new from the fantasy series in the near future. Rowling told Matt Lauer on the Today show Friday:
“I’m afraid I haven’t been writing the next “Harry Potter.” I have always said never say … well, not never say never. I’ve always said I’m not going to say I definitely won’t because, because I don’t see why I should say that. You know, it’s my world and I might choose to step back into it. And in a way, I am stepping back into it.”
The 49-year-old novelist, who is currently promoting her charity Lumos, which focuses on helping children, added:
“I’m stepping back into that world, writing the script for “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” So, you know, that door is always opened to me. But I think “Harry Potter 8,” as in what happened next to Harry, Ron and Hermione — I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
If Redmayne gets the role, it will offer him an opportunity to make up for the failure of Jupiter Ascending, a big budget film starring Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis, at the box office. The talented actor will also have to convince some skeptical fans, who believe that Matt Smith or Nicholas Hoult would be better options for the part.
Those commentators think that these two actors are closer to the spirit of the character. In the meantime, Redmayne is working on The Danish Girl, a movie directed by Tom Hooper about the life of Lili Elbe, one of the first recipients of sex reassignment surgery in 1930. Many expect Redmayne to receive great deal of attention for this important role.
What are your thoughts on Eddie Redmayne as the frontrunner to star in the “Harry Potter” spinoff? Do you think another actor would be a better choice? Will the Harry Potter spin-off be a success?
