Back in February, we reported that the Harry Potter spinoff Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them has started the casting process, and it seems the studio may have zeroed in on their lead actor. Variety reports that Eddie Redmayne, who recently won an Oscar for his performance in The Theory of Everything, is Warner Bros.' top choice for the lead role of Newt Scamander. The actor has yet to receive an official offer for the role, and it isn't known if he is interested in signing on or not.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, which is one of the textbooks that Harry Potter and his Hogwarts classmates use, is set 70 years before Harry Potter first set foot in Hogwarts, following the adventures of the book's author, Newt Scamander, in New York City. Scamander is a "magiczoologist," someone who studies magical beasts. Aside from Scamander there are four other main roles that need to be cast, two American girls and two American boys.

Director David Yates is currently considering other actors, such as Nicholas Hoult, who worked with Warner Bros. on the upcoming Mad Max: Fury Road. However, Variety's sources say that the role is Eddie Redmayne's to lose. Warner Bros. has already set a November 18, 2016 release date, but it isn't known when production will begin. Eddie Redmayne most recently starred in Jupiter Ascending for Warner Bros., and he will next be seen in The Danish Girl.