--- --- # Eddie Redmayne Is Set for _Harry Potter_ Prequel ## Video: After the Deathly Hallows: Harry Potter Characters 16 Years Later [Watch (HLS stream): After the Deathly Hallows: Harry Potter Characters 16 Years Later](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/CoCYWOyv.m3u8) (1:08)  _Published 2014-07-08. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and Neville are at the 2014 Quidditch World Cup. See what they've been up to since they defeated Lord Voldemort._ by [Sarah Begley](/author/sarah-begley/) ## Sarah Begley Jun 2, 2015 12:28 AM CUT by [Sarah Begley](/author/sarah-begley/) ## Sarah Begley Jun 2, 2015 12:28 AM CUT Eddie Redmayne solemnly swears that he is up to no good. Warner Bros. announced Monday that the Oscar-wining actor [has been cast](http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150601006836/en/Oscar-Winner-Eddie-Redmayne-Enters-Wizarding-World#.VWz2iGRVhBc "undefined") in the Harry Potter prequel _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_. The title takes its name from a companion “textbook” by J.K. Rowling with the fictional byline “Newt Scamander”; that will be Redmayne’s role. The studio describes the character in a statement as “the Wizarding World’s preeminent magizoologist, who in his travels has encountered and documented a myriad of magical creatures.” The film will take place 70 years before the Potter series begins, Deadline [reports](http://deadline.com/2015/06/eddie-redmayne-harry-potter-prequel-fantastic-beasts-and-where-to-find-them-jk-rowling-1201425358/ "undefined"). ### Harry Potter Illustrated Edition Illustrations  Harry Potter Jim Kay—Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.  Hermione Granger Jim Kay—Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.  Ron Weasley Jim Kay—Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.  Draco Malfoy Jim Kay—Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.  Rubeus Hagrid Jim Kay—Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.  Hogwarts Grand Hall Jim Kay—Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.  Dragon Alley Jim Kay—Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.  Hagrid Jim Kay—Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.  Harry Potter Jim Kay—Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.  An owl Jim Kay—Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.  The Golden Snitch Jim Kay—Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. Rowling is writing the screenplay herself for the first time; David Yates, a four-time _Harry Potter_ director, will helm the film. The series’ producer for all eight features, David Heyman, will fill that role again, too. Warner Bros. says _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ will be released in 3D and IMAX on Nov. 18, 2016. Eddie Redmayne: Actor Set for Harry Potter Prequel 'Fantastic Beasts' ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3904441/eddie-redmayne-harry-potter-film/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3904441/eddie-redmayne-harry-potter-film/"},"headline":"Eddie Redmayne Is Set for Harry Potter Prequel","datePublished":"2015-06-02T00:28:59.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:03:14.860Z","description":"He'll have a role in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them","url":"https://time.com/3904441/eddie-redmayne-harry-potter-film/","keywords":["movies"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Sarah Begley","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/sarah-begley/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/movies/","name":"movies"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3904441/eddie-redmayne-harry-potter-film/","name":"Eddie Redmayne Is Set for Harry Potter Prequel"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"After the Deathly Hallows: Harry Potter Characters 16 Years Later","description":"Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and Neville are at the 2014 Quidditch World Cup. See what they've been up to since they defeated Lord Voldemort.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/CoCYWOyv/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-07-08T19:48:23.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/CoCYWOyv.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3904441/eddie-redmayne-harry-potter-film/","duration":"PT1M8S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3904441/eddie-redmayne-harry-potter-film/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```