Eddie Redmayne admitted recently that he received the script for
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them right after he signed on for the role of Newt Scamander for J.K. Rowling's upcoming series.
Redmayne, who promoted his upcoming drama
The Danish Girl for Variety's latest cover spread, also mentioned that when he first met the Harry Potter author he was like any other fan in the world - trying to get as much information about the series and Wizarding World as he could.
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After “The Danish Girl’s” Venice debut, Redmayne might have the chance to earn a rare Oscar double. If he wins for the role, he’ll be the first actor since Tom Hanks in 1994 and 1995 (with “Philadelphia” and “Forrest Gump”) to score consecutive victories. There have been other reasons for Redmayne to celebrate this year. He got married to his girlfriend, Hannah Bagshawe, and was cast as Newt Scamander in J.K. Rowling’s “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” his highest-profile role yet.
“I’m on censorship mode about what I’m allowed to say,” he says. The plot of Warner Bros. release is so under wraps, he didn’t even receive the script until right before he signed on, and he only spoke to Rowling recently. “She was having to run off, and I bombarded her with questions on the character,” Redmayne says.
The Danish Girl comes to theaters November 27, 2015, while the first installment of
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them hits theaters nearly a year later, on November 18, 2016.