Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne was reportedly offered the role of Newt Scamander in “Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them,” JK Rowling’s “Harry Potter” spinoff series, according to Variety. Warner Bros. had no comment on the casting.

The series is set in Rowling’s wizarding world and follows Newt, a magical animal specialist who wrote a textbook Harry Potter uses during his time at Hogwarts, though “Fantastic Beasts” is set 70 years before Harry even enters school. Rowling wrote the book in 2001 and will make her screenwriting debut with its film adaption.

Warner Bros. announced back in October that it would release the series as a trilogy instead of a stand-alone film, and that the first movie, directed by David Yates, is scheduled for a Nov. 8, 2016 release. The studio set the subsequent release dates for 2018 and 2020.

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