Eddie Redmayne shares details on his experience using a wand for the first time in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The movie is a spin-off from the Harry Potter franchise and tells the story of Newt Scamander, a British magizoologist who has to face dark forces that are haunting the New York City wizarding community. The movie finds Newt traveling from London to New York with a suitcase full of magical creatures, and when those escape, he enlists No-Maj Jacob's help in retrieving them.
The story is set in 1926, seventy years before the events of the Harry Potter books take place. Redmayne plays the eccentric protagonist Newt Scamander and is ed by a cast that includes Colin Farrell, Ezra Miller, Katherine Waterston, and Dan Fogler. The Fantastic Beasts franchise has expanded and now includes two other films: The Crimes of Grindelwald and The Secrets of Dumbledore.
In a recent conversation with Variety, Redmayne talked about his career thus far, and shared interesting anecdotes about filming the Fantastic Beasts movies. According to the actor, he absolutely loved Newt from the moment he first read the script because he was such a ionate, eccentric, and unique character. Redmayne also shared that he had a lot of freedom when it came to offering his input and collaborating with director David Yates during filming. However, the British actor mentioned that there were challenges to playing a wizard:
When we started on the first Fantastic Beasts, there were things that were very stressful. Like, having a wand is like your childhood dream, but suddenly you're presented with this thing and you get complete stage fright. I don't have a clue what to do with it. So wand school was created, and apparating school. Like this feeling when you have to disappear into the mist. But then you became very blasé about that stuff and about the kind of everydayness of having a wand. But then, the joy of those films was getting to watch new actors come in and be presented with their wand and watching the inner kid just reveal itself, from everyone and anyone, however extraordinary the actor.
What's Next For Eddie Redmayne
Redmayne shared that working with such an international cast was incredible, and he has fond memories of working with Waterston, Fogler and Alison Sudol. However, after Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore performed poorly at the box office, a fourth film in the franchise seems unlikely at this point. But that does not mean Redmayne hasn't been keeping himself busy.
The Oscar-winner stars in the recently released Netflix film The Good Nurse. The movie is based on a true story, and Redmayne plays serial killer Charlie Cullen, a ed nurse who worked in nine hospitals across Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and became one of the most prolific serial killers in America. The actor garnered rave reviews for his fantastic performance, along with his co-star Jessica Chastain. The status of the Fantastic Beasts franchise is currently up in the air, however, and while Redmayne will surely continue to turn out impressive performances, it's unclear if he'll get to don Newt Scamander's wand again.
Source: Variety
