Katherine Waterston, who appeared with Joaquin Phoenix in Inherent Vice, has nabbed the coveted lead opposite Eddie Redmayne in Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, the Harry Potter spinoff from Warner Bros.
Waterston, who is British, will play the role of Tina, or Porpentina, a witch who operates in the U.S. The setting is a switch from the Potter books, which were set in London and other parts of England.
According to Warner Bros., which made the casting announcement Monday morning, Porpentina meets magizoologist Newt Scamander (Redmayne) when he stops in New York City on his travels to find and document magical creatures.
David Yates, who directed of the last four Harry Potter films, will helm the project which has a screenplay by Potter author J.K. Rowling. The script is taking its cues from Newt Scamander’s Hogwarts textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Potter producer David Heyman is back as producer, this time accompanied by Rowling. Steve Kloves, who wrote seven out of the eight Potter movies, and Lionel Wigram, who served as an executive producer on the last four installments of the franchise.
Waterston appeared in Boardwalk Empire and had a star turn in Vice, which was directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. She will portray Chrisann Brennan, Steve Jobs’ girlfriend, in the upcoming Steve Jobs biopic directed by Danny Boyle.
Warner Bros. Pictures has slated Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them for worldwide release in 3D and IMAX on November 18, 2016.
