Eddie Redmayne had auditioned for Voldemort(Photo Credit – YouTube)
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Having auditioned for young Voldy’s role in The Chamber of Secrets, Redmayne was all about joining the Harry Potter Universe. Unfortunately, he didn’t get the role, which went to Christian Coulson.
Fast forward to 2015, and we saw Redmayne in Fantastic Beasts as Newt Scamander. The movie was set in 1920s NYC, where Newt’s adventures began when he unleashed myriads of magical creatures from his enchanted suitcase.
While Harry Potter zeroed in on Voldemort, Fantastic Beasts explored the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald. Redmayne loved how the story intertwined magic with real history, saying, “What I loved about the Potter films was the idea that you could be living coinciding with this whole other thing going on.”
With J.K. Rowling herself crafting the screenplay, Fantastic Beasts delved into segregation and Grindelwald’s beliefs and looming threats.
Moreover, Redmayne’s portrayal of Newt was unique; he was an outsider, not fitting into the typical wizard mold. As he put it, “He’s his own person, and he doesn’t work well with rules or regulations or being sat behind a desk.” Instead, he dedicated his life to the care and study of magical creatures, often chasing after them in his endless quest.
Before stepping into the role of Newt, Redmayne had just portrayed real-life figures in The Theory of Everything and The Danish Girl. Playing a fictional character felt liberating to him, without the baggage of public expectations. “I was weirdly relieved,” he noted, highlighting the change in creative focus.
As Fantastic Beasts hit theaters, excitement buzzed in the air. Analysts predicted a hefty box office haul, and fans were ready to dive back into a universe filled with magic and adventure. Redmayne himself expressed hope that the film would stand alone, saying, “What I loved about the script was it was its own thing.”
So, while Redmayne may not have been destined to play Voldemort, he embraced the enchanting world of Fantastic Beasts, where he flourished as Newt Scamander. This unexpected journey reminds us that sometimes, the paths we don’t take lead to even more fantastic adventures.
