'Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them' leading man Eddie Redmayne admits to feeling the pressure as the live-action adaptation's main protagonist. Author and screenwriter J.K. Rowling replies to emerging allegations of an exclusive "all-white cast" for her upcoming film.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Redmayne expressed enthusiasm over his new role as renowned fictional magizoologist Newton "Newt" Scamander. He said that he had been a fan of Rowling's work for the longest time and that it was a complete privilege to have been chosen as one of the cast members. He will star alongside fellow cast mates Colin Farrell, Ezra Miller, Samantha Morton, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, and Christine Marzano.
Redmayne also told E! News that he was already feeling the pressure of helming such a big character that holds a big influence in the Harry Potter canon. He said, "The stakes are high because they were so good before... You don't want to screw it up."
The Oscar-winner's latest film, 'The Danish Girl', where he plays the transgender Lili Elbe, recently premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival last September 12. He is also known for previous work on 'The Theory of Everything', 'Les Miserables', 'My Week With Marilyn', 'The Other Boleyn Girl' and 'Elizabeth: The Golden Age'.
The new spin-off from the Harry Potter series is reportedly the first in a trilogy of films. Several comments have emerged criticizing the alleged "all-white" cast for 'Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them', according to Examiner. J.K. Rowling responded with a tweet explaining that although the main cast is indeed composed of "white" actors, many diverse characters have not been revealed yet.
The first film for 'Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them' is scheduled to be released on November 18, 2016. It is an adventure-fantasy film inspired by Rowling's book of the same name. The book itself details the magical creatures found in the successful 'Harry Potter' universe as compiled by the fictional magizoologist Newt Scamander.
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