Katherine Waterston Scores Female Lead of FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM

Movie Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Katherine Waterston about 8 years agoby Ben Pearson

A few weeks ago, word came out that supermodel Kate Upton, Elizabeth Debicki (The Great Gatsby), and Katherine Waterston were up for the female lead role of David Yates' new Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Now THR reports that Waterston has secured the part, and she'll star as Tina (short for Porpentina), a witch operating in the U.S. who meets magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) when he visits New York City.

I'm unfamiliar with Waterston's work since I still haven't caught up with Paul Thomas Anderson's Inherent Vice, but most of you will recognize her from that film. She's also playing the title character's girlfriend in the upcoming Danny Boyle-directed biopic Steve Jobs, and she had a supporting role on the HBO series Boardwalk Empire.

There's still a big female role left to be cast: the role of Tina's younger sister Queenie. Dakota Fanning, Saoirse Ronan, and more were rumored for that role, but it hasn't been officially announced yet.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them hits theaters on November 18th, 2016. What do you think of this casting?