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Ever since Harry began his journey, we’ve been told that “The wand chooses the wizard.” But, on set of the Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them movie, the actors got to design their characters’ wands themselves.

“I sort of assumed that I would have a wand sort of plopped in my hand,” Eddie Redmayne tells Entertainment Weekly. But when he found out he got to choose the wand for the main character, Newt Scamander, he put a lot of thought into the design.

“These amazing props designers come, and then you have really a quite intricate discussion with [director] David Yates about what qualities Newt has,” Eddie continued. He wanted Newt’s wand to match his personality, to be a reflection of who he was. Eddie didn’t want the wand to be too complex of a design, Newt isn’t a “showy guy”. But he did want the audience to be able to see the history in it, all that it’s been through, with scratches and burn marks up and down the ash wood.

But for the handle, they were sort of talking about whether it should be horn or leather, and I didn’t like the idea of like animal products being used, given that he’s a zoologist. So in the end, they came up with this idea of sand shell… and it has a slightly mother-of-pearly feel. So we had all these discussions and went back and forth with designs, and when the thing arrived I was pretty excited. My inner 9-year-old was having a disco, and then I was actually presented with it!”

Read the full interview with Eddie Redmayne here! Be sure to catch Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in theaters November 18!

Yesterday, the Fantastic Beasts Twitter page released an exclusive introduction to the protagonist of the newest film to be set in the wizarding world: Newt Scamander. There are some exclusive new clips in this video, so be sure to watch it below!

A new hero for a new era of the Wizarding World. Meet Newt Scamander. #FantasticBeastshttps://t.co/Yi5Ko4VPiy

— Fantastic Beasts (@FantasticBeasts) June 23, 2016

The video starts with J.K. Rowling (screenwriter and producer) introducing her concept of a hero:

“My heroes are always people who feel themselves to be set apart, stigmatised, or othered. That’s at the heart of most of what I write, and it’s certainly at the heart of this movie”

We are then shown an intriguing new image of Newt, Tina and Jacob in MACUSA, after what looks to be an arrest:

Newt then delicately and fondly touches Tina’s face:

Rowling then tells how a textbook used in Hogwarts in the Potter books and films became its own phenomenon in the muggle world of today – she became increasingly interested in Newt’s story whilst writing the Potter series, leading to the Fantastic Beasts movie!

“He’s been travelling the world studying magical creatures – he calls himself a magizoologist!

“Newt’s creatures live in his magical case – you open it up, you can go down, and it’s an amazing space”

Eddie Redmayne then introduces his character: “He feels more at home with creatures than he does with human beings,” we are told by Redmayne. It is here that the Bowtruckle is introduced.

“Come on, give me a smile.” Newt coaxes. The Bowtruckle responds by blowing a raspberry at him!

Pottermore says of the creature:

“A small twig-like creature that guards wand-wood trees” 

“Peaceful and shy, unless its tree habitat is threatened. Has long, sharp fingers”

Bowtruckles are found in the West of England, southern Germany and certain Scandinavian forests.

Read more here!

“Newt walks into a society he doesn’t really understand” Rowling continues:

“Mr Scamander, do you know anything about the wizarding community in America?”, Tina asks Newt.

“I know that you have rather backward laws about relations with non-magic people” he replies (notice he didn’t say ‘muggle’!), “You’re not meant to befriend them, you can’t marry them, which seems wildly absurd to me”

We are then told the crux of the Fantastic Beasts storyline:

“Jacob accidentally opens Newt’s case, full of magical creatures” Rowling says. “It’s something that has implications for the whole wizarding world’.

Read more at Pottermore here!

The Warner Bros. presentation on April 12th at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas gave a ‘big picture’ on what to expect in Summer 2016, and of course the biggest thing attendees wanted to hear about was Fantastic Beasts. Therefore, it was only fitting that Eddie Redmayne, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol and Colin Farrell hit the stage to rile up the crowd and promote the film:

More images from the event can be found over at Getty Images here.

Access Hollywood caught up with Eddie Redmayne at the event, for a short interview about the Potter franchise. He ‘opens up’ about whether or not he was a fan of the original series (obviously he was!). Catch the video below:

Associated Press released a similar interview of Eddie and Collin Farrell talking about the magic of the series, and Colin raves about having a personalised wand.

Eddie’s so engrossed in the series already – we can’t wait to see how he does as Newt (judging by Pottermore’s interview, we’d say he’s definitely doing great).

Collider also met with Dan Fogler, to talk about his role as muggle (no-maj) ‘Jacob’ in Fanatic Beasts. They graced us with a video of their interview (below), and even gave us a handy time index:

• 0:17 – What it means to him to be part of the Harry Potter universe.
• 1:15 – His “surreal” and lengthy audition process.
• 3:36 – The experience of making the movie.
• 4:22 – How the story will surprise people.

Comic Vine also released a video with Dan (below), on finding out about the role and more on his character’s 1920’s New York / Brooklyn accent:

You can read a transcript of the interview over at Snitch Seeker here.

Just incase you haven’t seen the trailer already (or want to see it again) catch our frame-by-frame analysis here, and the trailer itself below:

Warner Bros. showcased their huge list of talented actors and crew members involved in making their highly anticipated films at this year’s CinemaCon in Las Vegas, including clips from Fantastic Beasts and Yates’ Legend of Tarzan.

According to Business Wire, Warner Bros. focussed their presentation on trailers and  some never-before-seen footage from the films, illustrating a statement by CEO Tsujihara about the diversity of their works, encompassing huge feature films (such as Fantastic Beasts!), dramas, action adventures, horror thrillers and comedies.

Making a video appearance for The Legend of Tarzan, Dwayne Johnson; Alexander Skarsgård, Margot Robbie, Samuel L. Jackson and Christoph Waltz introduced the film at the panel, showing just how talented the cast for David Yates’ film has been!

Even more excitingly, Warner Bros. closed with a look at Fantastic Beasts, with on-stage appearances by Eddie Redmayne, Alison Sudol, Dan Fogler and Colin Farrell, who helped introduce the new trailer (below), and an exclusive look behind the scenes of the film.

Read more about the presentation here!

Following the exciting release of another amazing Fantastic Beasts trailer at the MTV Movie Awards yesterday evening (which you can read about here and watch below), Pottermore caught an exclusive interview with Eddie Redmayne himself – and it’s just about the loveliest interview you’ll ever read!

As we know, Fantastic Beasts will be dealing with a very different setting to that of the Harry Potter series. Tom Riddle is just being born (in 1926), Albus Dumbledore is still teaching Transfiguration at Hogwarts (and apparently advocating against Newt’s expulsion), and we’re being wooshed away to New York, to see how the American wizarding (and No-Maj) world of the 1920’s differs from the British version of the 1990’s-2000’s.

Talking about the pressure of adding to the legacy of Potter, and helping to create this entirely new story, Eddie remains humble as ever, showing how much he cares about the series and his character:

“‘Each time you put a little thing like that out into the world, it feels nerve-wracking,’ he says, in his reverent British half-whisper. ‘The weird thing about film-making is that you make films as a team and together, you care about every bit that goes out. You care what people think. I care.’ 

Eddie blinks a couple of times, earnestly, and it’s clear that he does. He’s the kind of actor who keeps a piece of his characters in his heart. He adores Newt Scamander especially, you can tell.

‘When I first heard the notion of this film and that it was set in a totally different time period [to Harry Potter] the question for me was, would those worlds ever collide? When I read the script, the delicacy with which J.K. Rowling weaves the names and the characters of a different generation to the one we know and love excited me. It still does.’

As for Newt’s expulsion and the reason he’s arrived in New York City? 

‘I can say nothing further about that,’ Eddie says, holding tight onto the secret. “

You can tell Eddie really knows his stuff – we love an actor who gets into the story as much as us (we’re looking at you, Evanna Lynch)!

On Newt’s love for magi-zoology:

‘Newt is much better at communicating with beasts and spending time with his creatures than perhaps he is with human interaction. On the journey of this film, he begins to find connections with people but he’s not exactly a people-pleaser. What I love about Newt Scamander is that he’s his own person. He’s a passionate man and he’ll do anything for those beasts.’

Our frame-by-frame analysis of the trailer gives a closer look at one of the more adorable beasts in Newt’s intriguing briefcase, and allows us to see that the briefcase holds beastie characters we’ll get to know more throughout the film. The mysterious Pottermore Correspondent chooses to focus on this strange (but cute!) little beast:

‘The Niffler!’ says Eddie, with a slight shake of his fist on Newt’s behalf. ‘As you know, I have a love-hate relationship with that little guy. He gets a little moment in the trailer, the Niffler. He’s ravaging a purse. I thought he did pretty immaculately in his debut but there’s a lot more Niffler to come. He looked so sweet and adorable just then but don’t be fooled.’

Eddie beams with genuine affection for the little beast and sighs with relief that he can finally talk about a few more things that appear in the film. Now that the trailer’s out, he’s got approximately eight fewer secrets to keep until November. 

‘I’m so bad at keeping secrets, so anything being out there that I don’t have to hide anymore is good,’ he says.

We know that Eddie’s a busy man, and we also know that he’s expecting a baby with his wife – apparently he’s taking a well-deserved break (but probably not for long – the sequel’s still to come, and another after that!):

‘Do you know, I am actually taking a wee break,’ he says. ‘My wife is having a baby and we thought we’d travel a little. What was wonderful about Fantastic Beasts is that it was fully immersive but the shoot was long, it was six months and it was rigorous. I put everything I had into it so, yeah, it’s time for a wee break.’

But one of the best parts of the interview doesn’t even involve any interviewing – the Pottermore Correspondent beautifully sums up Eddie’s shining personality with a quick observation, making us even more confident that he’s the Newt we never knew we were looking for:

“And with that, Eddie stands, hugs me goodnight, climbs the narrow black stairs down from his trailer, stops to film 11 seconds of fireworks on his phone and jumps into the black car waiting for him outside.”

Read the full interview over at Pottermore here!

We can’t wait to see/hear more about the film (which hits cinemas November 18th!) – catch the trailer below, and read our frame by frame analysis here!

Yesterday, Eddie Redmayne gave us the biggest present at the MTV Movie Awards. Who was not jumping and squealing with excitement and joy after watching the first full-length theatrical trailer of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? All of us at Leaky were gushing, and we could hardly contain ourselves.

After reviewing everything we know about the Fantastic Beast films so far a couple months ago with the release of a Fantastic Beast’s clip (see the Leaky analysis article here), we see the new trailer reveals so much more information! It’s a bucket full of whole new content–more than just 16 new facts, sorry Pottermore. (See Pottermore’s article on 16 new things we learned about the trailer here.)

The music was magical. Our skin tingled hearing the familiar Hedwig’s theme, and familiar Harry Potter scores with a new twist.

The trailer (undoubtedly, as will the movie) opens with the familiar Warner Bros logo, freshly polished since it’s rusty Harry Potter days. From this first frame, we can already tell we are in for one magical ride. (Click to enlarge all photos)

We first see Eddie Redmayne as New Scamander, sitting alone on a bench in New York city. He hasn’t found his core group of friends yet, don’t worry Newt, we’ve all been there. Over this frame, Colin Farrell, as Graves, narrates his opinion of Newt.

Graves’s voice is rather scary, almost sinister, as if he’s interrogating Mr. Scamander (we do know that Newt is in some deep, serious trouble with MACUSA, and Graves is chief of Wizarding Police, aka Head Auror). “You’re an interesting man, Mr. Scamander,” Graves says. We agree.

As Newt enters 1920’s America, aboard a ship like the thousands of immigrants coming in from Europe at the time, we get our first beautiful glimpse at the Wizarding World’s 1920’s New York skyline.

Graves makes a jab at Newt and his troublesome suite case, saying “You’re an interesting man, Mr. Scamander. Just like your suit case. I think there’s much more to you than meets the eye.” And with that, ladies and gentlemen, we get our first look at a beast as it peaks out of Newt’s case…peaking out? That’s slightly problematic…though, those cute little beasty hands don’t look threatening at all!

Then things get real serious, real quick. Newt was kicked out of Hogwarts for endangering a human life with a beast…sounds like he and Hagrid would get along very well.

While Graves’s tells us this grievous fact, we see that Newt probably did well in Herbology during his time at Hogwarts. Not unlike his fellow Hufflepuff, Professor Sprout. Newt is seen brewing up something magical.

Newt is at a table overflowing with plants, and what looks like a large slab of meat. He isn’t being very secretive about what he’s doing, as Jacob is sitting off in the corner. This means, at this point, No-Maj Jacob has already been introduced to the world of magic.

Ooohhh, sparkly! What’cha making there, Newt? A remedy?

If endangering a human life with a beast didn’t sound bad enough in Graves’s deep voice, add in the dramatic orchestra music (we cannot wait for this sound track) and rushing down a dark 1920’s street, with cars headed straight at you. Look at that outdoor set! It’s fantastic.

Newt, in this next frame, we see the way you’re looking at Tina. We agree–your future wife is very beautiful, and she cleans up well. Tina Goldstein looks like she’s ready for a good night out on the town…except wait. It’s the 1920’s and Prohibition is roaring as strong as the speak easies…that guy over her right shoulder looks like he’s had a rough night.

We quickly change from Newt staring lovingly at his gorgeous future wife, to a good look at a 1920s bank. Something bad happens at this bank–and it’s not a market crash, Black Thursday is still a few years away. While Newt is in line, he suddenly feels the need to glance over his shoulder. Something magical and fishy is happening…

Honestly, the glance over the shoulder is a look of pure terror.

During this scene, and while we get a good look at the 1920’s American immigration system (which is still a hot topic in American politics today), Graves tells us that one of Newt’s professors fought for him to stay at Hogwarts. Albus Dumbledore.

In the 1920’s Albus Dumbledore would be a strapping young wizard at the age of 40. However, he would already be well-known around the world for his brilliance. At this time, Dumbledore would be a Transfiguation professor. He would hold this teaching position for at least another 17 years. (It is 1926, the same year Tom Riddle was born, and Dumbledore would still be teaching Transfiguration during young Voldy’s school days).

While Newt steps hesitantly towards the United States’ Customs (don’t worry, we understand your hesitation), Graves narrates, “What makes Albus Dumbledore so found of you, Mr. Scamander?” We have to admit, being recognized by a genius like Dumbledore is pretty impressive. But look at that face! Eddie, Newt, what’s not to love?

As Newt gets questioned by a customs officer, we learn some pretty valuable information. It is Newt’s first trip to America! …And then we hear his case click open. That’s not good.

Newt calmly (a little too calmly) looks down and says oops, he must get that fixed. Oops? OOPS!? That’s a big oops. Newt, we can see how some little beasties escaped, and we can definitely see how you found yourself in a bucket load of trouble!

As the USA customs officer continues to ask Eddie a few questions, Eddie sneakily changes his case to Muggle Mode. That’s awesome. Don’t deny it all of us have found ourselves in a situation where we could use a Muggle mode on our bags.

Let’s see…Newt has a Hufflepuff scarf (awe!), a city map of New York, another map with places circled in red, a very nice camera, and some muggle/no-maj clothing.

The USA customs officer asks Eddie if he has anything edible in his case, or any live stock (Note: though this process shares some similarities with current American customs, the process is pretty much nothing like this). Eddie looks in the custom officer’s face and lies.

That, above, is the “you hesitated” face. Newt, you hesitated. We know what’s really in that case. Though, it’s not the sort of live stock the officer had in mind. But “Welcome to New York”! Let the chaos begin!

As soon as Newt is allowed into New York, the trailer moves into an action frame. With dramatic orchestra music, we see a group of uniformly dressed men running through MACUSA and down the stairs. Dispatch the aurors! Trouble is here!

Take a minute to take in the MACUSA atrium, as we get another look at it. There is a 1920’s lift next to the stairs (how considerate), and a large central clock. Along the far end of the room, we see employees working at their desks. A white marble statue, possibly of a former MACUSA President, stands above their desks. A rather large banner of the current MACUSA Madam President, Seraphina, hangs above them as well–looking down and watching over everyone in the MACUSA atrium…

The Harry Potter films were incredibly detailed, and it looks like the Fantastic Beasts films will not disappoint in this area. Newspapers often give away many clues about what is going on in the wizarding world. This one second frame is no different (click to enlarge the pictures).

The New York G– is what the picture shows. It must be the wizarding version of the New York Gazette, which was New York’s first newspaper in real life. If you feel like a brief History of Muggles lesson, see more information on the New York Gazette here.

The Second Salemers are at large, as one headline on the back page reads, “International Wizard Hunt Intensifies.” On the same page, we see there are some wizards that might be contributing to this distress. Alberto Macellarus is wanted for 3,500 Dragots (American Wizarding money), for counterfeiting wands and murder–he is “bearing a wand and extremely dangerous!” Newt and his troubles is a jar of butterflies compared to that guy.

On the same page, an article tracks the “Threat Levels of Magical Exposure” from 1913-1926, and “Federal Bureau of Covert Vigilance and No-Maj obliviation” records a record number of penalties issued.

The biggest headline is “Magical Disturbances Risk Wizarding Exposure,” with a supporting article stating that President Seraphina Picquery is to “address fearful American Wizarding Community.”

As we learned in the History of North America stories from J.K. Rowling, MACUSA has a much more strict statute of secrecy than the rest of the world. They try to completely isolate themselves from the No-Maj world.

On a lighter note, the newspaper also reports “Sports,” “Wizbiz,” “Celestial Updates” and a “Wizards Checkers” newspaper puzzle game like the New York Time’s crossword puzzle.

We then see Newt and Tina, walking somberly up the steps of MACUSA that aurors were rushing down a few frames before. With all of the political no-maj unrest, and Newt’s ultimate rule breaking habits, we can see why a visit to MACUSA might be no laughing matter. They are probably not there for a cup of tea and biscuits.

In the next few frames, we return to what looks like a secret night out. In this frame, Newt looks more weary of magic than Jacob–Jacob is so used to it by now. Wizards, of course, don’t have to abide by no-maj prohibition. As J.K. Rowling wrote in her North American history of magic lessons:

“Unlike the No-Maj community of the 1920s, MACUSA allowed witches and wizards to drink alcohol. Many critics of this policy pointed out that it made witches and wizards rather conspicuous in cities full of sober No-Majs. However, in one of her rare light-hearted moments, President Picquery was heard to say that being a wizard in America was already hard enough. ‘The Gigglewater’, as she famously told her Chief of Staff, ‘is non-negotiable.’”

It looks like a pretty dark and sketchy place to be…however, Queenie looks like she’s enjoying their little adventure.

Let’s take a break and just admire this outdoor set for a couple frames:

Ahhhh…okay moving on.

As we know from Liverpool set reports last November, a rally of Second Salemers makes quite the ruckus outside a no-maj American political event. They apparently support a presidential candidate named “Shaw.”

It’s not hard to see why…his political dinner looks a wee bit fascist (just a little). He doesn’t look like he’d be too friendly with the MACUSA or the United States wizarding community.

It looks like someone with a super strong Diluminator interrupted Shaw’s event and started taking out the lights and chandeliers.  That can’t be good. That’s going to hurt the American wizarding community.

Definitely not a Diluminator. Whatever blew out the lights is throwing people across rooms a few frames later. This really can’t be good.

Hello, Graves. Try smiling sometime; you’re wearing this wonderful coat. The coat is totally worth all the trouble going down in your world right now.

Remember back when a young girl named Faith was cast as a character named Modesty? If you don’t, here is a refresher. As the Harry Potter Wikia reminds us, “she was a haunted young girl with inner strength and stillness. She also possessed an ability to see deep into people and understand them. Modesty met Newton Scamander during his travels in New York, at which time she was between the age of eight and twelve.“

That’s her.

Meanwhile, Newt and Tina find themselves in a sticky situation in what looks like underground tunnels. They are hiding and trying to run from those scary looking dudes on the right.

Then Newt has this brilliant idea.

He’s just going to through this blue and green ball of beast at their pursuers. Honestly, where did you pull that from, Newt? Your pocket?

It’s half-butterfly half-bat with a skull for a face. It’s a “Swooping Evil.” At least that is what the coding and title tag on the Pottermore official picture (picture number 14) calls it. It is not in the little Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them textbook written by J.K. Rowling. This must be a new invention…sadly, that means we don’t know what it does. It’s name suggests something sinister, and it’s face doesn’t look nice.

Seriously, it doesn’t. It’s the type of face that haunts you in your dreams.

That’s the face you’d make after seeing a Swooping Evil in your dreams.

When an auror bursts into a speak easy by apparating, it must be a magical speak easy or that would be breaking a lot of laws. He’s definitely not there to confiscate that alcohol…so maybe he’s after Newt and the gang?

Graves is definitely after them, and he’s giving it his all in this scene. The situation must be dire if he, head auror, is casting that much magic in a no-maj subway.

A second fantastic beast! Hello, little guy! You are much cuter than that Swooping Evil thing. It looks like it was your tiny claws peaking out of the suitcase in the beginning frames. Ladies and gentlemen, meet a Niffler.

In the Fantastic Beasts textbook by J.K. Rowling, the Harry Potter author describes a Niffler as such:

A little trouble maker, but an adorable one. Looks like he’s got a hold on Queenie’s purse.

Can we laugh at the 1920’s NYPD? They have no idea what they’re up against. I highly doubt those guns are a match for magic.

Queenie definitely looks suspicious. And it looks like she’s coming out of the MACUSA elevator…hmmm.

Mean while, Tina and Newt, back in the underground tunnels, are making a run for it.

I don’t think that Swooping Evil creature did its job…

…it’s hard to tell if they make it out of this situation.

Newt resorts to jumping off a building and apparating before he can fall. Don’t try this at home unless you are a very skilled wizard. Even then, we don’t recommend it.

Graves starts narrating again. We learn that “no human can do what this thing is capable of.” Sounds like something really nasty escaped from Newt’s case, because President Seriphina and Graves do not look happy. They’re stylish, but not happy.

The Fantastic Beast logo flies onto the screen, but the trailer doesn’t end there. The Harry Potter music, though! Hedwig’s theme just sinks right down to the soul!

In fact, the funniest, most adorable Newt-Jacob bro moment is saved for last. We now understand what David Heyman meant when he said, “[Beasts] is very funny, it’s got a big heart, and there’s darkness too.” 

Newt’s face as he struggles to get to sleep. That moment, when you’re lying in bed and you have an idea that just pushes you out of bed and you startle your roommate, who is drinking some bed-time hot coco and reading “Cassandra and Her Cat Gustavus.”

Of course, that brilliant idea that pushes Newt out of bed is stepping into his case. Don’t think Hermione ever went inside her beaded bag…is that a good idea?

Of course, good idea or not, then Newt whistles to his no-maj roomie and motions him to follow. Jacob’s “who, me?” look is priceless. Maybe he’d rather stay in bed with that cup of hot coco and read about Cassandra and her cat Gustav…eh, who are we kidding?

The entire Fantastic Beasts trailer [HD] can be seen below. We’ve watched it a million times, and we’re sure you have too–never enough! Let us know if we missed anything. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them hits theaters November 18.

Eddie Redmayne appeared at the MTV Movie Awards this evening to introduce a new trailer for “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” and it was very exciting. Even the theatrical introduction to the trailer was thrilling; it featured a very 1920s-esque set, some briefcase-toting men, and a special entrance from Eddie Redmayne himself. I won’t spoil all the details, because that would ruin the fun, but you can watch the introduction as well as the “wee glimpse” into “Fantastic Beasts” below (thanks Perez Hilton!)

Check in with us soon, because we’ll be posting an in-depth analysis of the trailer shortly. For now, we hope you feel as giddy with excitement over this latest update as we do! I must say that my eyes welled up a bit when I realized that Hedwig’s Theme had been woven into the “Fantastic Beasts” theme music. I wasn’t expecting it, and it just made me feel so wistful. I think it was a great creative choice, and it will definitely tug on the heartstrings of anyone who loves Harry Potter!

On the subject of music, the genius behind the film’s score was recently revealed to be the eight-times Oscar-nominated composer James Newton Howard, whose film credits include “The Hunger Games” trilogy, “The Sixth Sense,” and “Pretty Woman.” (Source: NME)

The first film in the “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” trilogy will be released on November 18, 2016.

MTV announced this morning that Eddie Redmayne will be promoting Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them at the MTV Movie Awards this Sunday. The announcement came with a tweet, saying that Redmayne will be revealing a new clip of the film!

We may never recover. An exclusive sneak peek of @FantasticBeasts will be revealed at the #MovieAwards this Sunday!https://t.co/bAPkrBYScZ

— MTV (@MTV) April 5, 2016

In preparation for the reveal, MTV wrote an article summarizing everything they know so far. The writer leans heavily on Ezra Miller’s character of Credence. Credence is the “troubled,” “mysterious” character, the son of avid Second-Salemer, Mary Lou. It’s Hollywood’s worst kept secret that he must be a wizard afraid of his radical, oppressive mother. Perhaps the new clip will show more of Credence’s role. MTV reports:

On Sunday, April 10, MTV and Newt Scamander himself invite you to return to J.K. Rowling’s fantastical wizarding world. No, this is not a drill, and yes, you should probably sit down.

Famed Hufflepuff Eddie Redmayne is heading to the 2016 MTV Movie Awards to debut a sneak peek at his anticipated new film Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, MTV News can exclusively reveal.

It’s official: The very thought of this never-before-seen footage is going to keep us up all night for the next week. What will we get to see?! Well, we have a few suggestions…

 

MTV goes on to give suggestions based on their speculations. MTV, as well as the rest of us, would like to see more about MACUSA and the characters that work there, New York in the 1920’s, the Fantastic Beasts and creatures we haven’t seen yet, the “Grindelwald,” and Newt’s Hogwarts days. The original article can be read here.

Evanna Lynch spoke to People about potential appearances in Fantastic Beasts, excitement about Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander, and fan theories about the film, and also spoke to Buzzfeed about her role as Luna, her love for animals and her dedication to social justice.

“I am so excited. Those are my two favorite things: animals and Harry Potter.”

People pointed out Evanna’s dedication by reminding us that on Sunday 20th, she took part in the New York City’s Half Marathon to raise awareness for World Animal Protection.

Lynch is also hugely excited about Eddie Redmayne’s leading role as Newt Scamander:

 “Eddie Redmayne is going to be fantastic! He’s definitely a wizard.”

As one of the biggest fans of Potter, Evanna’s dying to be in Fantastic Beasts – we don’t blame her! She mentions some of the fan theories connecting her to the role, but unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be happening:

“I’m just waiting for the call!” she said laughing, adding “Fans have been concocting all these scenarios where Luna narrates the film as if telling it to her children or grandchildren. They didn’t go that direction,” she adds.

 “I do get a little bit jealous when I think of them filming right now. I miss it!”

Buzzfeed also caught Evanna this week to talk about her participation in the New York city Half Marathon for World Animal Protection, connecting her love of animals to her role as Luna Lovegood:

On animal rights and World Animal Protection:

“It’s something that I was always interested in and it always felt like a natural impulse for me. When I see an animal in pain it really upsets me because they’re innocent and they’re the outsiders. I think that’s why I resonated so much with the character of Luna in the Harry Potter movies; I feel for the oppressed and I want to stand up for them. In a way, animals are so different and we as humans think we’re better than them, but I really think we just don’t know them very well. I had lots of pets growing up and there were sheep in the fields behind our house. We were just surrounded by them, and I just felt that I wanted to protect them. I just think they have a lot to teach us. I feel like they already teach us so much about trust and always having compassion for people. Animals are just waiting for us to catch on.”

Evanna also told Buzzfeed that she thinks Luna is ‘extremely spiritual’, and resonates with her connection to the natural world:

“She doesn’t fear death, she feels that there’s a very thin divide between those two worlds, and I think that’s why she feels this connection to the spiritual world. I think that relates back to animals too, kind of like the message in Pocahontas about how everything has a spirit in it. I think that’s why Luna doesn’t get so caught up in the minutiae of everyday life and teenage angst. She doesn’t get worn down by bullies because she really sees the big picture; she sees people’s spirits and their energies, and she sees that with animals. Just because they can’t speak to us or communicate with us in the same ways [as humans] doesn’t mean that they’re not worthy or that they’re not able to offer us anything.

….. “She’s someone I really look up to, especially because of her outlook on the world. She doesn’t judge anyone and is curious about everything, and I’d like to have that [outlook]: not to take life too seriously, especially in the industry I’m in. In acting, it can get so competitive because everyone’s trying to make it. I think Luna reminds me that that’s not what I want, you know? Not to sound cheesy, but I just want to follow my heart and do things that make me happy. We share that outlook and appreciation for art and nature; she doesn’t look at something and try to understand it or try to claim it, she just appreciates it. I’m always striving for that outlook on the world.

On the lessons Evanna learnt from Harry Potter, and what she thinks the series can teach fans about social justice:

“I was always encouraged to give my opinion on things and to not be a perfectionist; just to get in there and play and talk to people. My perspective on film and movie-making before I joined the Harry Potter films was that I have to be a total pro and I have to do everything perfectly, and you have to just do exactly what the director says. But on Harry Potter, the filmmakers always invited me and all the younger actors to collaborate. They got me to make some of [Luna’s] jewelry and just put my take on it, and that’s what people liked. Initially, I was just waiting for people to tell me what to do or tell me I was doing something wrong, and instead they just encouraged me to express myself. Every time I do a movie I tend to get nervous in my head and I always have to remind myself, “Just be yourself. They just want you to add something to it. They don’t want you to just be exactly what you expect it to be.”

….

“I think especially in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, that whole idea that the media is not telling you what’s really going on and that you can’t trust the government — J.K. Rowling really drove that message home. The government was so corrupt, they were trying to get Harry to be their poster boy and their actions actually become interchangeable with the dark side. And I know it’s a magical world, but there is a lesson to learn from that: to question everything, to use your voice, always be striving for your ideal world, and not just accept a world that’s what the papers say or that’s what the government is telling us. J.K. Rowling is very aware of that. Even the fact that she’s tackling diversity issues in the film industry with the new play [Harry Potter and the Cursed Child]. They cast Hermione as a black woman, and that’s something that people just didn’t expect. It just gave the stories a new resonance and new power. That’s what the Harry Potter books definitely instilled in me: to question everything.

Read the full interview on Fantastic Beasts with People here, and the interview on animal welfare, Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood with Buzzfeed here (featuring a few photos of her at the marathon!).

Catch Evanna’s latest on-screen appearance in the trailer for the independent film My Name is Emily (in cinemas April 8th) below, and an interview on the film here!

We recently reported on Total Film including Fantastic Beasts as part of the 10 coolest movies coming your way, and after the magazine’s release on Friday, we can finally see the updates they had in store for us!

An interview with David Heyman (Producer) discusses working on Fantastic Beasts, and how J.K. Rowling provided a grounding to keep the films up to standards. 

By writing the scripts and supervising on set, Jo has had a lot more involvement than the Potter films (for which she was also a Producer), setting the tone perfectly:

“Fantastic Beasts is very much in the spirit of the Potter books but it’s not filled with young children and their issues. I wouldn’t say it’s ‘dark’ but, as with all of Jo [Rowling]’s work, it’s not soft. There is material in all of the books that has a truth about life. Here, there’s darkness within. But there are also these creatures, and an awful lot of humour and heart – which I think will appeal to young and old alike.”

“Jo was on set and has been an incredible support to us. We’d run concepts by her, she’d give her thoughts and we’d adjust accordingly. She certainly was aware of all the lead casting choices before we finalised them.” 

On Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander:

“Newt is someone who communicates better with his creatures than he does with people. He’s a Brit who finds himself in the US, and the [A]merican magical universe is different [from] the British one. Eddie was our first choice. He is very good at playing characters that are out of step, as it were, and bringing to them a real heart and compassion. He has a desire to bring truth to every moment. He’s very charming and appealing to men and women alike. And he’s a timeless actor, so he fits perfectly into 1920s New York.”

Heymen discusses the ‘beasts’ in the film, and the use of CGI rather than animatronics as used in the Potter films and seen at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour. He assures us, however, that this will not impact the final result!:

“We’ve done a lot of research on movement and look because we wanted to make our creatures grounded. They should seem like they really could exist, so they’re not just pure fantasy.”

Thanks to Mugglenet and Wizards And What Not for the heads up!

Hitting newsstands tomorrow (Friday 11th), Total Film gave a sneak peak of their front cover (below), starring Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them as one of the 10 coolest movies coming our way!

With this comes the hopes that they’ll tell us more about the film – adding to our growing list of suspicions.

Whilst you’re waiting, check out J.K. Rowling’s new writings on North American magic, the first is here and second here!

Eddie Redmayne sat down with the Telegraph for a very lengthy interview looking at his career thus far. Arguably, it is quite an impressive one. Among his many awards and nominations, Redmayne has won a Tony, Olivier, Best Shake­spearean Performance from the Critics’ Circle Awards, Golden Glob, SAG, and an Oscar for his role as Stephen Hawking. While working on Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them, Eddie has also been promoting his 2016 Oscar-nominated film, The Danish Girl.

And now he is the lead actor in one of the biggest film franchises in movie history (assuming that Fantastic Beasts is included in the Harry Potter franchise–who knows, it might be big enough to become its own franchise!).

Eddie talked of taking the role of Newt Scamander, what it was like to be working on such a big film with such a big budget, and how he researched for this role as he does for all his roles. Research for a magic zoologist? Yeah, totally possible. The Telegraph reports:

He says he is having a lot of fun on Fantastic Beasts. Directed by David Yates (who made the final four Harry Potter films), the cast includes Katherine Waterston, Samantha Morton and Colin Farrell. The film is set 70 years before the Harry Potter story begins, in New York, where Newt Scamander is attending the Magical Congress of the United States of America, following his world travels to find magical creatures.

‘What has been so great about this one is seeing a bigger budget being used,’ he says. ‘Every single head of department on this film is at the top of their game so they use that to the most extraordinary effect. The other day I was looking down at a set they have built, New York streets in the 1920s, and as far as your eye can see are cars, smoke machines, extras… It feels like going back to, and maybe we romanticise it, but a golden age of Hollywood with this huge scale of things.’

I wonder what he did to prepare for the role of Newt Scamander in Fantastic Beasts. ‘Part of what I do, in relation to research is’ – he is laughing – ‘about exploiting the fact that you have one of the best jobs in the world. If you are given access to amazing astronomers to educate you when playing Stephen Hawking, why wouldn’t you meet them?

‘As I am playing a magizoologist I thought, why don’t I go and shack up at London Zoo for a bit,’ he continues. ‘I spent a few days there and then I went down to Damien Aspinall’s place, Port Lympne in Kent, and met the amazing handlers there. Some of them sleep with baby tigers when they’re born. What was important for me here was to see how people with such a close relationship with animals communicate with them, because Newt has that. Then it is just a lot of fun.’

In the lengthy interview, Eddie goes on to talk about his career, the awards he’s been nominated for, how he got into acting and manages being nervous while performing, and being voted GQ’s Best Dressed in 2016 (his dad is his fashion icon!). The rest of the interview may be read here.

The 2016 BAFTA Film awards took place in the U.K. last night, at London’s Royal Opera House. Stephen Fry hosted the event, and Eddie Redmayne, Dame Maggie Smith, Julie Walters were also in attendance, with nominations in the Leading Actor, Leading Actress and Supporting Actress categories respectively.

Dame Maggie Smith also got caught on the kiss cam (see below), with none other than Leo DiCaprio! After the initial shock she pulled him in for a lovely hug – probably the most adorable kiss-cam we’ve seen (Stephen Fry called it “a marriage made in heaven”:

Giving a shout-out to Dame Smith in his opening speech, Stephen Fry joked  “If she were any more of an institution, she’d have railings around her!” – we can’t help but agree!

Eddie Redmayne also presented the award for Best Supporting Actress (which went to Kate Winslet). Radio Times caught him on the red carpet, where he spoke about the event’s hype:

“There’s still an adrenaline buzz and an excitement that comes. You give your everything and hope people enjoy it so when you get to these things you hope people have seen the films.” 

They also reported on the winner’s press conference, in which Julie Walters admitted to losing her (expensive) earring:

“Julie Walters has been backstage in the winners press conference, discussing her role in the Brooklyn TV spin-off and the worrying misplacement of her earring on the way up to the stage. Apparently it’s borrowed and worth more than her house!”

Halfway through the evening marked the time for a tribute to huge contributors to the film industry who have sadly passed away, which included a touching tribute to Alan Rickman, featuring clips from Harry Potter, Robin Hood and Truly Madly Deeply.

The award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema went to Angels Costumes, who provided costumes for Harry Potter, along with James Bond, Pirates of the Caribbean and Star Wars.

Domhnall Gleeson presented the Best Film In a Foreign Language award, alongside Star Wars co–star, Carrie Fisher.

Leonardo DiCaprio gave a shout-out to Gary Oldman in his acceptance speech for Best Actor.

Though Maggie Smith and Eddie Redmayne may not have won Best Actress / Actor (losing out to Brie Larson of Room and Leonardo DiCaprio for The Revenant), Brooklyn – starring Julie Walters and Domhnall Gleeson – won the Outstanding British Film Award, whilst Star Wars: The Force Awakens (also featuring Domhnall Gleeson) won Best Visual Effects – congratulations!

Next up, the Oscars (28th February)! Eddie Redmayne is nominated for Best Actor, his film The Danish Girl is up for Costume Design and Production Design, whilst Julie Walters and Domhnall Gleeson’s Brooklyn is nominated for Best Picture and Adapted Screenplay.

Dame Maggie Smith won ‘Best Actress’ at the Evening Standard British Film Awards,  for her role as Miss Shepherd in The Lady In The Van.

Emma Thompson won the Comedy award, for her portrayal of Cemolina in The Legend of Barney Thomson. Other nominations in this category included Fantastic Beasts’ Colin Farrell  (The Lobster).

Thompson also gave a heartwarming dedication to Alan Rickman in her speech:

“I’d like to commit this moment in time to dearest Alan Rickman, who many of us are dearly missing tonight. It’s so depressing but there it is, it does happen.

“He always predicted I would end up looking like my mother after a lifetime of Guinness, fish suppers and untipped Players. So thank you.”

The award for best film went to Brooklyn, which features Julie Walters. Walters has been nominated for the ‘Best Supporting Actress’ Bafta (the awards take place 14th February).

Eddie Redmayne and Dame Maggie Smith have also received Bafta 2016 nominations, so keep posted to hear more about the results!

This last weekend, Pottermore released a new clip from behind the scenes of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them at the 3rd annual Harry Potter Celebration. They also included an analysis of the video, that basically reiterated what the video showed.

However, we Potter fans know that these things reveal much much more, if one only looks close enough. The following is an analysis of the behind the scenes clip from “Fantastic Beasts” and a cumulation of everything we know so far. We actually may know a lot more than we think…

First, Let’s Talk Characters

The full cast list on the Fantastic Beasts IMDB has gotten long. It includes gala dinner guests, MACUSA receptionists,  witches and wizards (uh, duh), upper class wealthy people, lower class hard working citizens, criminals, a candy store girl (?), exterminators (exciting! Are they big beasty exterminators?), executioners (scary!), factory workers, bank workers, aurors (of course), jazzy people (it is the Roaring 20’s, full of wizard Gatsby parties), gangsters (New York Wizard Mob?), customs officials (immigration to the US has always been a big thing, but there was a big wave in the early 1900’s), Senator Henry Shaw and a Henry Shaw Jr., and journalists (hopefully not the Rita Skeeter kind)! There are even people cast as “beasts”–we have a big foot (Sasquatch) and Edd Osmond has been cast as a Demiguise:

Casting News: Actor Edd Osmond has been cast as a Demiguise in #FantasticBeasts pic.twitter.com/FUuJofdmXD

— Fantastic Beasts Fan (@FBAWTFTmovie) January 25, 2016

Wow. All those characters make quite a story! But what do we know about the characters with names?

[Picture: Dan Fogler as Jacob stands in front of a drugstore/soda fountain/candy shop]

Remember Modesty? According to the WB Casting call out, we know that Modesty as,

“a haunted young girl with inner strength and stillness. She also possessed an ability to see deep into people and understand them. Modesty met Newton Scamander during his travels in New York, at which time she was between the age of eight and twelve.”

Ron Perlman plays a character named Gnarlack–sounds wizard worldly.

Samantha Morton as “Mary Lou” is the leader of the “Second Salemers.” EW described her character as, “The narrow-minded leader of the fanatical Second Salemers, a group looking to expose and destroy wizards and witches.”

Ezra Miller plays Credence, or as EW revealed, “Perhaps the cast’s most mysterious character. He’s Mary Lou’s troubled adopted son.” One can make a lot of speculations about what that means…

Let’s take a look at Graves, “a powerful auror and the right-hand man of the American wizarding world’s president,” whom we now know as President Seraphina. We saw, in the first trailer, Katherine Waterston’s Tina Goldstein approach, nervously and somberly, the MACUSA leader and a congress of people to make a case for Newt. This serious looking President is probably not a friend of our Newt; he is stirring up a lot of trouble in an already dangerous and tumultuous society with No-Maj relations. Graves, by default is probably not a friend of Newt’s either.

Similar to the trio in Harry Potter, we know that there are four main characters. We’ve known this since the EW report last year, but they stressed this in the second clip. Pottermore highlighted this with a quote from David Heyman, saying, “This isn’t just Newt’s story; Jacob, Tina and Queenie are all at the centre of it. ‘All four central characters are outsiders. Part of the journey of this, for each of them, is coming into themselves,’ says David Heyman.” With the EW report last year and this clip, we actually know quite a bit more about this quartet.

Jacob Kowalski (played by Dan Fogler) is just a little blue collar No-Maj, returning home from war and wanting to start a bakery….and accidentally finds himself on a magical adventure.

EW had described him as: “An optimistic No-Maj (aka Muggle) factory worker/aspiring baker who gets introduced to the wizarding world when he meets Newt. Fun fact: He’s the Harry Potter franchise’s first Muggle main character.”

In the new clip, Dan opened up about his character Jacob, saying: ‘Jacob is back from the war and now he’s trying to get his life together and open up a bakery. He just happens into this very magical situation,’ he says. Dan also believes that Potter fans will ‘feel the nostalgia and the love they have for the movies in a whole new light.’

We assume that the simple bedroom that we see Eddie sitting in is Jacob’s, some how the two are very good friends. Or at least Jacob is holding Eddie’s case a lot…

Actually, Newt hardly ever seems to have a hand on his case. No wonder some of the beasties get out!

Newt needs to be more responsible with that case. He looses it a lot. He looses the contents of it…it’s a good thing he’s a Hufflepuff, and must be well adept at finding things.

Half of the new quartet is made up of Tina and Queenie Goldstein. Tina will eventually become Newt’s wife, but until then this is what we know.

EW: Queenie is “Tina’s younger sister and roommate, a big-hearted free-spirit “legilimens” who can read minds.” Porpentina, or Tina, is described, “an ambitious worker at the Magical Congress of the United States of America (aka MACUSA, the U.S. version of the Ministry of Magic) who meets Newt. Tina is relegated to an office well below her abilities after she stood up for the wrong person. She longs to fight for what’s right.”

Pottermore wrote:

Alison [Queenie] also has some interesting comments about the relationship between the Goldstein sisters: ‘You have two sisters, who have raised each other and have a very deep bond.’ We can’t be sure but this shot makes it look like Alison knows what Katherine is thinking. Which is entirely possible –  after all, she’s playing a Legilimens.

Katherine says her character Tina is ‘very soulful; she has a lot of heart and strengths and courage.’

Tina’s career at MACUSA has stalled but she’s certainly at the heart of this story. We saw some very intense moments with Tina, wand in hand and looking very serious indeed. ‘The job we have to do is to make it seem natural and you kind of have to ignore your own sense of wonder watching it,’ says Waterston.

 

Awe how sweet…now what about Tina’s future trouble maker husband, Newt Scamander? The two have a couple of wonderful moments together it seems, though with the trouble Newt causes, I doubt it was love at first sight.

Newt is the leading man, and EW described him as, “An eccentric globe-hopping English “magizoologist” wizard who’s far more comfortable around beasts and creatures than he is around other people. Comes to New York on a quest with his case full of magical habitats containing rare and endangered species.”

We already know Newt doesn’t keep a good eye on that magical case of his, and little beasties escape and reek havoc. As Eddie says in the new feature, “‘And this one catalyst sets in motion this sort of insane amount of events that just cause chaos. And at the core of it, is this quartet.’”

Let’s Talk Set

1926 New York, MACUSA…we’ve actually seen quite a lot of it! From the photos EW first revealed on set of Fantastic Beasts, to the behind the scenes snippet that just came out, we see lots of the streets of New York.

Looks like they wander into a barn at one point…perhaps to capture a beast? And then goof around and pretend to be beasts…

But what about MACUSA? We got our first description of MACUSA from EW upon the release of the official Fantastic Beasts movie poster:

“1. ARCHITECTURAL WIZARDRY: The Magical Congress of the United States of America is hidden from Muggle view inside the very real Woolworth Building (New York’s tallest structure in 1926). Wizards enter through an ultra-fast-spinning revolving door into a grand lobby. While this Fantastic Beasts stage is a rather massive 250 feet long and 50 feet high, the ceiling will be extended with special effects to reach nearly 700 feet to represent “an empty cathedral of light, a hugely impressive, brilliantly lit space,” says production designer Stuart Craig.”

“2. THE PHOENIXES OF THE ORDER: J.K. Rowling’s screenplay included these four golden phoenix statues (two unseen) that bracket the MACUSA entrance, paying homage to those who died during the Salem witch trials – a major traumatic event in the history of American wizard and No-Maj (a.k.a. Muggle) relations. Notes Craig: “Throughout, the magical world is grounded in the context of the Muggle world, born out of things familiar and real.”

“3. GOLD, NOT JUST FOR SNITCHES ANY LONGER: Loosely based on the interior of the Gothic art-deco American Radiator Building in midtown Manhattan, the MACUSA design includes a heavy use of gold to “bring a richness to the decoration. Given that this is the seat of power of the government in the magic world, it’s appropriate that it is gilded.”

“4. MAGICAL HERALDRY: The official MACUSA emblem, based on the U.S. presidential seal, includes the etching of an American flag combined with an abstract phoenix

The behind the scenes trailer gave us a clearer picture of MACUSA and its phoenixes, and weird Puritan statues in the middle:

We also get a first (fuzzy) glimpse at the MACUSA seal:

During the Harry Potter Celebration, Pottermore and J.K. Rowling released a lot of information about wizarding schools around the world. We know from previous J.K. Rowling tweets that the North American (USA?) Wizarding school, Ilvermorny, will be featured in the first Fantastic Beasts films. The description and detail of the other schools–Castelobruxo (Brazil),  Mahoutokoro (Japan),  Uagadou (Africa)–is amazing. One can only hope that future Fantastic Beasts films will travel around the world to these schools too. J.K. Rowling says to keep watching Pottermore for more details….

Let’s Talk Wands…

Newt’s wand was originally thought to be “vegan.” It was “simply wood,” according to EW. Why vegan? Because Newt was a zoologist who cares lot about animals, loves them and connects with them more than people, so his wand would be “vegan.” However, the recent reveal that Newt’s wand was made from lime wood, shell, and bone, seems to contradict that original theory. Bone definitely doesn’t make it vegan.

What wands are made of is important. But wands look like is even more appealing to fans (because, of course, by this time next year we will be buying replicas of them). In the new video, we actually see many of the characters’ wands up close.

Newt shows off his quite a lot throughout the two small videos we have.

Tina becomes more brave about using her wand, and even does magic in front of a No-Maj! Don’t worry, it’s just Jacob…a wounded Jacob.

Queenie’s and Graves’ wands have a little flare to them. They each have shiny handles, though we are sure specifics about those will come later:

Let’s Talk Beasts…

The troublemakers. We actually haven’t seen any of the “fantastic” beasts yet. There have been a couple beast castings (see above) and EW did release a small list of beasts we can expect to see. Those beasts include a Niffler, Ashwinder, Lethifold, Augurey, Bowtruckle, Crup and Merepeople. Descriptions of all of these creatures can be found in book, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. It would be really bad if an Ashwinder got into that barn the quartet is in…Other than that, we have a beastie Fantastic Beasts logo, and that is about it.

I think that pretty much sums up all that we are allowed to know of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them so far. The two videos we have so far can be seen below. Enjoy! We will update you with more news when we can!

Entertainment News interviewed Fantastic Beasts Eddie Redmayne on the process of filming The Danish Girl, for which he has just been nominated for the Best Actor Oscar.

Eddie spoke about how the long it took to make The Danish Girl a reality – saying the whilst filming Les Misérables (which came out in 2012),  he spoke to director Tom Hooper about a script he’d been working with for years for The Danish Girl, which only got funded whilst Redmayne was filming A Theory of Everything (released 2014) – taking a total of 12 years to become a reality!

He spoke about how important his role in The Danish Girl was, and the importance of educating himself before giving his performance as Lilli Elbe, and a beautifully eloquent summary of the film’s moral:

‘What found amazing about this film is it’s a love story, and it places love as this thing that is not defined by bodies, by gender – it’s about souls, really.’

Watch the interview here!

The young and talented Eddie Redmayne, who will be playing the lead role of Newt Scamander in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, has been nominated for his second Oscar.

Eddie Redmayne, who celebrated his 34th birthday last week, received the Oscar for Best Actor for his role as Steven Hawking in The Theory of Everything last year. He has been nominated for the same Oscar for his leading role in The Danish Girl.

The Danish Girl was nominated for four Oscars including Best Actor in a Leading Role (Redmayne), Best Supporting Actress, Best Production Design, and Best Costume Design. The complete list of the 2016 Oscar Nominees can be seen on the Oscar website.

After winning both Best Actor Oscar and Bafta in 2015 for A Theory of Everything, Eddie Redmayne is nominated again in 2016 for A Danish Girl, putting him in the position of potentially receiving a Bafta double. He is up against Bryan Cranston (Trumbo), Matt Damon (The Martian), Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant) and Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs).

Dame Maggie Smith is also nominated in the Best Actress category for The Lady in the Van. Competition includes Cate Blanchett (Carol) , Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn), Brie Larson (Room) and Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl).

Julie Walters has been nominated for Best Supporting Actress in Brooklyn, pitting her against Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs), Rooney Mara (Carol) and Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful 8) . She says she was thrilled to be nominated and “proud to be included alongside these great women and their powerful performances”.

Brooklyn and The Danish Girl are both nominated for Most Outstanding British Film, Costume Design and Make-up and Hair. Brooklyn is also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Join us in congratulating Eddie Redmayne, Julie Walters and Dame Maggie Smith on their nominations, and make sure you see them in The Danish Girl, Brooklyn and The Lady in the Van!

The latest issue of Britain’s GQ magazine was released today, and features Fantastic Beasts leading man, Eddie Redmayne, on its covers. Eddie has been deemed the best dressed man in the world by the magazine. The full article discusses “privilege, Harry Potter and LA parties,” but offered a few sneak-peek snippets about Eddie that would make anyone’s heart melt.

GQ’s website posted:

Eddie Redmayne on occasionally paying young actors’ rent

“The greatest privilege that I had was that my parents lived in London. So when I was out of university and out of work for a year, working in a pub, I didn’t pay rent. And I get letters from people trying to go to drama school and needing to pay their rent. And so that’s something I occasionally do. It’s impossibly expensive to live in London.”

Eddie Redmayne on the challenging acting roles he chooses

“I think people look at it and go, urgh, you want to try and do something transformational. And it’s not true – just, if you’re lucky enough in your lifetime to get two parts that are interesting and challenging to play, then it’s a privilege really.”

After those two teasers, if you would like to read the full article, the February edition of Britain’s GQ is available on newsstands and e-readers today (January 7)!

Empire have just released a brand new promo photo of Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) in New York (below), from the set of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them!

The February issue of Empire Magazine will feature this promo photo, and Producer David Heyman will be releasing more information about the film in the next issue of the magazine, released December 31st. From the photo, Newt Scamander seems very immersed in the hustle-and-bustle of the muggle (or No-Maj) New York life, and Heyman has said of the film so far:

“On some days we’ve had several hundred extras, all done up in 1920s costumes. We are going into the magical world, but we’re bringing the magical characters into the Muggle, or ‘Nomaj’, world.’

Watch the teaser trailer for Fantastic Beasts below!

Eddie Redmayne has been receiving a lot of attention for his role in The Danish Girl, for which he recently received SAG and Golden Globe nominations. Parade Magazine got the chance to sit down with the soon-to-be Fantastic Beasts star, to talk about his acting career. Of course, Fantastic Beasts came up! Though do to the statute of secrecy around the films, not much was said.

Parade Magazine Reports:

You’ve taken on some very dramatic roles. Do you ever want to play something more frivolous?

More of this fantastic interview with the humble and kind Eddie Redmayne, can be read here.