Eddie Redmayne In Talks To Lead HARRY POTTER Spin-Off FANTASTIC BEASTS

Eddie Redmayne, who won an Oscar earlier this year for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything, was once considered the frontrunner to star in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them. Redmayne was battling against other contenders like Matt Smith, but now Deadline says Warner Bros. has made him an offer and he's officially negotiating for the role.

Director David Yates, who helmed the last four Harry Potter films, will direct this movie, which is set in New York City and takes place 70 years before the events of the first Potter movie. It follows the character of Newt Scamander, a "magizoologist" who writes a book that eventually becomes required reading for Harry and his friends at Hogwarts. J.K. Rowling, who authored every Potter novel, wrote this film's screenplay (her first), and just turned in the first draft. Producer David Heyman called the script "wonderful" earlier this year, and we're eager to see if Rowling's talents translate to the realm of screenwriting.

Redmayne didn't exactly receive rave reviews for his work in Jupiter Ascending earlier this year, but there's speculation that he could be up for another Oscar with his performance in Tom Hooper's The Danish Girl, in which he plays a transgender artist. It seems like he has the right sense of whimsy to fit well into Rowling's wizarding world, so hopefully this casting works out.