Eddie Redmayne, the actor who plays Newt Scamander in the Fantastic Beasts films, recently shared a funny story about being recognized at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park. While visiting with his children, Redmayne found himself on the receiving end of some confused stares from fans in the very magical world he helps bring to life on screen.
The Theme Park Encounter
While promoting his new series, The Day of the Jackal, on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in October 2024, Redmayne talked about taking his children to Universal Studios in Los Angeles. He mentioned they were at the “perfect Harry Potter age” and were fulfilling their theme park dreams. The visit to the Harry Potter section, however, came with an unexpected moment for the actor.
Redmayne specifically described getting “a few dodgy looks” while inside Ollivanders, the famous wand shop from the stories. He did not elaborate on whether he was approached by fans, but his comment suggested that visitors were doing double-takes, seemingly recognizing him but perhaps not being able to immediately place how they knew him from the wizarding world. Host Jimmy Kimmel joked that people might have mistaken the Oscar-winner for someone who simply “works there.”
“Of course I went to the Harry Potter park and I got a few dodgy looks in Olivander,” Redmayne told the talk show host.
The Future of Newt Scamander
This amusing encounter comes at a time when Redmayne has been open about the likely end of his journey as Newt Scamander in the Fantastic Beasts film series. In recent interviews, he has stated that the movie franchise appears to be over.
When asked if audiences have seen the last of Newt on the big screen, Redmayne gave a straightforward answer: “I think they probably have. That was a very frank answer, but yeah. And that’s as far as I know. You’d have to speak to the people at Warner Bros. and J.K. Rowling, but as far as I know, that’s it.”
However, he offered a silver lining for fans of the magizoologist. Redmayne teased that Newt might make a small comeback at the new Universal Epic Universe theme park set to open in Florida in 2025. The park will feature an area dedicated to 1920s wizarding Paris, a key location from the Fantastic Beasts series.
“I think he may come back in a glimpse in the Universal world in Florida that they’re opening up, in which you may catch a glimpse of what he was up to in Paris,” he said.
This suggests that while Newt’s cinematic story may be complete, the actor has filmed exclusive new content for the theme park attraction, allowing visitors to experience one more new adventure with the character.
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From Wizards to Assassins
Redmayne’s current focus is on his role in the spy thriller series The Day of the Jackal, which premiered on Peacock and Sky in November 2024. In the series, he plays the “Jackal,” a highly skilled and elusive assassin who becomes locked in a dangerous chase across Europe with a tenacious British intelligence officer, played by Lashana Lynch.
The series is a modern adaptation of Frederick Forsyth’s classic 1971 novel. The producers decided to update the story to the present day and expand it into a ten-episode series to explore the characters more deeply. The show was well-received and was quickly renewed for a second season, with Redmayne confirming he will return as the titular character.
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