Eddie Redmayne is about to play the lead in a Harry Potter movie, but the actor had been trying to get involved in the franchise for years now.
In a new interview, Redmayne says he was dying to get cast as one of the Weasleys in the Harry Potter films, but he was never even able to land an audition.
"So I was desperate," he said. "Every actor in England was in the Harry Potter films, but I never got the call. Now I'm having my moment."
That moment will be in Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them, the new Harry Potter spinoff written by J.K. Rowling. Redmayne plays Newt Scamander, a magizoologist who discovers a magical briefcase that houses dangerous creatures. When he accidentally releases one of these creatures, the authorities are sent after Newt. The movie will take place in 20th century New York City, and it's our first glimpse into what the wizard community is like in America.
The storyline of Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them is not really based on any book material, so it will be completely new for both readers and non-readers alike. It will launch a new trilogy of films, with a second installment in 2018 and a third in 2020.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them opens on November 18.