Eddie Redmayne Will Officially Star in the Harry Potter Prequel Movie

It had previously been reported that Eddie Redmayne was in talks to play Newt Scamander in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and now it's official. "Eddie Redmayne has emerged as one of today's most extraordinarily talented and acclaimed actors," Warner Bros. Pictures President of Creative Development and Worldwide Production Greg Silverman said in a statement. "We are thrilled to welcome him into J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World, where we know he will deliver a remarkable performance as Newt Scamander, the central character in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them." The movie is based on a textbook written by Newt, which Harry Potter uses during his time at Hogwarts. The plot revolves around the author and will take place 70 years before the events of the Harry Potter books. Aside from a voice role in Thomas & Friends: Sodor's Legend of the Lost Treasure, Redmayne only has one other upcoming film; he's playing one of the first women to undergo a transgender operation in The Danish Girl. Read up on everything there is to know about Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.