UPDATE: Eddie Redmayne says “the stakes are high” for ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’

Sep 15, 2015

Posted by: Emma Pocock

Fantastic Beasts Movie, News

Production for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them started last month, and Eddie Redmayne is reportedly starting to feel the pressure of living up to Harry Potter fans’ expectations, and continuing the legacy of the massively successful books and films.

Alongside this high-pressure role, Redmayne gained attention for his Oscar award-winning portrayal of Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything back in January, and has just recently attended the premiere of The Danish Girl (coming November 27th).

Eddie will be starring in this Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) film based on David Ebershoff’s eponymous fictionalised account of the life of Lili Elbe (Eddie Redmayne): a transgender woman who lived in 1920’s Denmark and was one of the first people to undergo sex reassignment surgery.

His responsibilities in these roles to both vicariously educate the public and represent the life of a stunning physicist and an important woman in LGBTQ+ history were extremely high, so when Eddie spoke of the high expectations he faces in portraying Newt Scamander in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, we knew he was being serious!

“The stakes are high because they were so good before. You don’t want to screw it up”

He told E! at the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of The Danish Girl on Saturday. Eddie previously expressed his excitement for the role in an interview with The London Evening Standard, saying:

 “I’m hugely excited, J.K. Rowling’s a genius, I am so thrilled to be a part of it but I can’t say a single word beyond that…I’ve always loved that world and I feel thrilled to be invited into it.”

On Saturday his enthusiasm was shown again:

 “It’s a complete privilege for me,” Redmayne said. “I love J.K. Rowling. I love the Harry Potter films [and] books so for me this is just the most wondrous gift really.”

UPDATE: Eddie Redmayne Confirmed in an interview with USA Today that he had met Jo, and elaborated more on his nerves when it comes to playing such a huge role. From USA Today‘s website:

‘“Ooooooooh, Beasts. I want to disclose everything but I literally cannot tell you anything. All I can say is that I’m having the most wonderful time and J.K Rowling has written something utterly wonderful.”

“We only had an hour before she was going away and we just talked character quite intensively. Her knowledge of my character’s backstory and the intricacies of it all were really inspiring.”

The actor did admit that he has some youthful zeal in working in this magical world, though like when he starred in the Les Miserables movie, it’s a complicated thing when it’s a project that means a lot to you:

“I had been to see Les Mis when I was a kid and I wanted to be Gavroche, and my parents were like, ‘You must have had so much fun making Les Mis!’ You know what, when you care about something so much when you’re doing it, you’re always trying to do it better. You’ve only got that day and when the camera’s rolling, and that scene’s done. So your mind’s always going: ‘How do I do it better, how do I do it better…’ And as a consequence, enjoyment is another question. I’m definitely having fun, but the thing with J.K. Rowling is I loved those books and I loved those films, and now there’s the sense of I don’t want to be the guy who lets everybody down.”’

The first instalment of the Fantastic Beast films is set to be released November 18, 2016.

 





The Leaky Cauldron is not associated with J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., or any of the individuals or companies associated with producing and publishing Harry Potter books and films.