Eddie Redmayne in Talks for FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM

Eddie Redmayne is on the verge of jumping into the magical world of Harry Potter. Variety reported on Tuesday that the Theory of Everything actor was now in official talks with Warner Bros. to play Newt Scamander in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

The movie will kick off a trilogy based on the fictional book in the Harry Potter series. JK Rowling is making her screenwriting debut on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Redmayne was first rumored to be the frontrunner for the role of Newt Scamander in early April. Mad Max: Fury Road's Nicholas Hoult was also in the running at that time. According to Variety, director David Yates "may be considering a few other actors, [but] it's looking like Redmayne has the inside track."

After locking down the movie's lead, Yates will turn to casting his two female leads. Variety reports that in addition to Scamander and those two female leads, Fantastic Beasts still has two more male roles to cast.

The first Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movie is due to hit theaters on Nov. 18, 2016.