Eddie Redmayne Is the New Favorite For Newt Scamander in Fantastic Beasts

And so the speculation game continues. Not long after Matt Smith was supposedly being considered for the role, it is now Eddie Redmayne who is said to be the “favorite” for the role of Newt Scamander in Warner Bros.’ adaptation of the Harry Potter spin-off, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Redmayne has yet to receive an official offer, but he’s said to be the frontrunner for director, David Yates.

Variety goes into some detail about the film itself:

Set in New York roughly seven decades before Harry Potter’s saga starts, “Fantastic Beasts” is based on the Hogwarts textbook of the same name and follows the adventures of its author, Newt Scamander. Scamander is described as a “magiczoologist,” which in the Harry Potter realm is a person who studies magical creatures. Besides Scamander, there are four other main roles — two American girls and two American boys — that the studio is currently looking to cast.

“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,” Rowling explained of the trilogy.

Sources tell Variety that the studio has also considered Nicholas Hoult for the part after working with him on the upcoming Mad Max: Fury Road.

So, Newt is either going to be played by The Doctor, Stephen Hawking, or Nux from Mad Max. Oh JUST PICK ONE ALREADY!

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