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Eddie Redmayne is an Academy Award winner with several critically acclaimed performances under his belt. However, one of Redmayne’s more popular roles came in theFantastic Beastsfranchise, which served as a spin-off to theHarry Pottermovies. In the films, Redmayne plays the role of Newt Scamander, a British magizoologist caught up in political turmoil.
The third installment in the franchise, titledFantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, was released in 2022. While promoting the film, Redmayne compared it to the classic heist filmOcean’s Eleven, going as far as to liken his character to Brad Pitt’s role in the movie. Here is what Redmayne had to say about the similarities between the two movies, despite them being different on paper.
Eddie Redmayne Compared HisFantastic BeastsRole to Brad Pitt’sOcean’s Eleven
Eddie Redmaynedebuted in the role of Newt Scamander in 2016’sFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. He reprised the role in two further installments, including 2022’sThe Secrets of Dumbledore, co-starring Jude Law. To promote the film, RedmayneappearedonThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
During his conversation with Fallon, Redmayne compared the third installment to the 2001 heist-comedy filmOcean’s Eleven, starring George Clooney andBrad Pitt. The Academy Award-winning actor stated:
It’s like Ocean’s Eleven, set in a Wizarding World. And Jude Law, who plays Dumbledore, is basically George Clooney, and I’m Brad Pitt.
Redmayne likened the film toOcean’s Eleven, highlighting the complicated heist aspect of the third installment, which unfolds inThe Secrets of Dumbledore, with Jude Law’s character devising a plan to outwit his rival and the dark wizard Grindelwald.
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Therefore, Law’s character in the movie is comparable to Clooney’s Danny Ocean, who serves as the brains of the operations inOcean’s Eleven. Meanwhile, Redmayne’s Newt is similar to Pitt’s Rusty as he is Dumbledore’s confidant and most trusted ally in the battle against Grindelwald.
Eddie Redmayne’s Doubt onFantastic BeastsReturn Proves His Role Deserves More Appreciation
Despite the popularity of theWizarding Worldfranchise, theFantastic Beastssequels saw diminishing returns with each subsequent installment.The Secrets of Dumbledoremanaged to gross merely$407.2 millionat the global box office. As a result, the franchise’s future has been in limbo withreportssuggesting that future installments had been scrapped.
During an interview withNMEin 2023, Redmayne cast doubts on reprising the role of Newt Scamander in future installments, suggesting that the studio’s interest in the franchise had gone cold. He said:
I mean, at the moment, there’s nothing that I’m aware of. So, as I’m aware, it’s not something that’s on the cards.
Redmayne’s comments strongly suggest that we will likely never see him reprise the role. Moreover, theFantastic Beasts sequels sidelined Newt to focus on the conflict between Dumbledore and Grindelwald, making the character a supporting player in his own franchise.
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For his part, Redmayne delivered a perfectly charming performance with the$816 milliongross of the first film, proving that fans were interested in following Newt’s story. As a result, Redmayne’s character getting sidelined was a tragedy, which proves he deserved more appreciation for his role in the franchise.
TheFantastic Beastsmovies are streaming on Max.
Pratik Handore
Content Writer
Articles Published :1772
With a keen interest in comic book movies and blockbuster franchises, Pratik usually covers news and updates on the DCU, MCU, Star Wars, and more.A die-hard fan of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, Pratik spends most of his time exploring different storytelling mediums that invoke a sense of wonder and adventure. Other filmmakers whose works have deeply influenced him include Alfred Hitchcock, James Gunn, and Guillermo del Toro.
