Eddie Redmayne is feeling the pressure already. Sure, he's no stranger to huge movie roles — the British actor won an Oscar for playing Stephen Hawking, and he'll portray a transgender woman in The Danish Girl this fall. But for Redmayne, the Harry Potter prequel Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which he's starring in, makes him the most nervous of all, because those previous movies starring Harry, Hermione, and Ron at Hogwarts set the bar very high. "The stakes are high because they were so good before," he told E! News at the Toronto International Film Festival. "You don't want to screw it up." But I don't think he should be worried at all — Redmayne is an amazing actor who should definitely be trusted with the role.
Not that the part is so simple. Redmayne will play Newt Scamander in Fantastic Beasts, based on Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling's book of the same name which was published under the name Newt Scamander and used as a textbook in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (got all of that?). According to E! News, the movie takes place in New York City — quite a distance from Hogwarts — and 70 years before the first Harry Potter book. It should be noted that Newt himself is a graduate of Hogwarts (sorted into Hufflepuff) and is an expert in magizoology (the study of magical creatures). The movie is due out in 2016.
But I'm sure Redmayne can handle all of that. He's a charming actor who definitely has the acting chops to take on the world of Harry Potter. Here's why he should totally be trusted to slay this role — and those fantastical beasts.
He's Got An Oscar
I mean, this says a lot. Earlier this year, he bested some really close competition to take home gold for his role as Hawking in The Theory of Everything. He's hoping there's no Oscar slump in his future.
He's No Stranger To Researching Roles
For his role as Hawking, Redmayne read the renowned physicists books and spent time with him, according to an interview in Variety and on The Ellen Show (above). For The Danish Girl, Redmayne has been spending time speaking with transgender women and men about their experiences and researched the role for two years before he officially had it, according to Variety. Research is clearly very important to him, so you better believe he'll get his learn on when it comes to the Harry Potter universe.
He Respects The Franchise
Lucky for Redmayne, he already loves the Harry Potter books and realizes he's taking on a beloved franchise that he also loves dearly. "It's a complete privilege for me," he told E! News. "I love J.K. Rowling. I love the Harry Potter films [and] books so for me this is just the most wondrous gift really."
He Has Played Characters With Fighting Spirits
As Marius in Les Miserables, Redmayne helped lead the Paris Uprising in the 2012 film, not to mention Hawking battling ALS and exceeding expectations in The Theory of Everything. You better believe won't take on mystical creatures lightly.
He Has Done Sci-Fi/Fantasy Before
Yup, Redmayne played villain Balem Abrasax in the flop that was Jupiter Ascending. But that doesn't mean he wasn't awesome in it and that the film didn't prepare him for fantasy roles to come — like Fantastic Beasts.
