It’s always a little nerve-wracking when a beloved franchise steps out of canon. Such is the case with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the upcoming Harry Potter spinoff about magizoologist Newt Scamander who catalogues and chronicles the magical creatures of J. K. Rowling‘s universe—from the closet-dwelling boggarts to the blast-ended skrewts. Although the fact that Rowling is writing the screenplay (her first) herself sounds safe, lately she’s said some things about the original series that make fans wonder if even her judgment is still trustworthy.
But today, the nerves of many a loyal reader were put at ease when Entertainment Weekly debuted the first images of actor Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything, Les Miserables) in the role of Newt. The cover shows Redmayne in his wizarding best with his wand brandished and ready for action. Hopefully his first spell will be making that awful “Newt Kid on the Block!” pun disappear.
photo by Jaap Buitendijk / Entertainment Weekly
The film is set in 1926, where Scamander leaves New York on a whimsical trip that provides the material for his soon-to-be definitive magical textbook: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
David Yates, who directed the last four Harry Potter films, is attached to direct, and Redmayne will be joined onscreen by Colin Farrell, Jon Voight, Ron Pearlman, Katherine Waterston, and Samantha Morton.
Head to Entertainment Weekly to see more photos from the set of the film.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is set to hit theaters November 2016.
