It had previously been reported that Eddie Redmayne was in talks [1] to play Newt Scamander in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and now it's official [2]. "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 [3] 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 [4]. Read up on everything there is to know about Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them [5].