‘Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them’ Star Eddie Redmayne Turned Down For ‘Harry Potter’?

Eddie Redmayne may be set to star in the upcoming Harry Potter film, Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them, but there is one role the young actor wishes he would have landed. According to Us Magazine, Redmayne recently revealed that he coveted a role in the original Harry Potter movies only to be snubbed by producers time and time again.

Apparently, the Oscar-winning actor wanted to play one of the Weasley family members in the hit franchise. With the red-headed family boasting a number of different male characters, including Ron (Rupert Grint), Fred and George (James and Oliver Phelps), Bill (Domhnall Gleeson) and Percy (Chris Rankin), one would expect Redmayne’s chances were high in getting a part.

However, not only did he fail to get a part in the Harry Potter films, but Redmayne didn’t even make it to the audition stage. This left the actor in a state desperation as he tried his best to get a part in the series.

“For years I was always like, in the Harry Potter films, there was a whole ginger family, and I never got an audition. And I was like, ‘Come on, it’s outrageous!'” Redmayne explained. “So I was desperate. Every actor in England was in the Harry Potter films, but I never got the call. Now I’m having my moment.”

Fortunately for Redmayne, producers selected him for the role in J.K. Rowling’s newest Harry Potter related movie, Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them. In the film, Redmayne plays the part of Newt Scamander, a magizoologist who travels to New York City in order to track down some magical beasts.

At the same time, Redmayne’s career has blossomed despite not being involved in the Harry Potter series. In fact, the actor recently won an Oscar for his performance as Stephen Hawking in the 2014 movie, The Theory of Everything. Additionally, the young actor has received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Lili Elbe in The Danish Girl. Elbe was among the first to undergo surgery for sex reassignment.

Meanwhile, Redmayne, who was a history of art major at Cambridge University, is currently gearing up for the highly-anticipated Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them. With that in mind, producers recently uploaded some photos from the set of the film that offer a first look at Redmayne in character.

In the photos, which were released on Instagram, Redmayne is seen in full character, complete with a fancy coat and an interesting trunk.

The movie is based in the same world as the Harry Potter series, only the events in Fantastic Beasts take place in New York City in 1926. The film is loosely based on the Hogwarts textbook of the same name, which was actually featured in a number of the Harry Potter books.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them marks the first time fans will able to revisit the wizarding world of Harry Potter. It is also the very first time Rowling will try her hand at producing and writing a major film production. According to Express, the movie will be released during the same year that Rowling’s play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, premieres to a live audience.

Unfortunately for fans, those who want to see Rowling’s first venture onto the stage will have to travel to London, as the play is set to premiere at London’s Palace theater on July 30, 2016.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them(see the teaser trailer below) is set open in theaters this November. The movie is the first in a planned trilogy, all of which are being written by J.K. Rowling.

Tell us! Do you think Fantastic Beasts star Eddie Redmayne would have made a good Weasley? Let us know in the comments below.

[Photo by Tristan Fewings/Getty Images]