Warner Bros.’ upcoming Harry Potter spinoff Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is certainly well versed in locating mythical beasts, that much we know, but it also seems quite adept at finding fantastic Hollywood stars, too. After assembling Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, and Alison Sudol, The Hollywood Reporter today brings word that True Detective star Colin Farrell has joined the ensemble.
Acting as an extension of the Harry Potter universe, J.K. Rowling’s spinoff takes place a full 70 before the events surrounding The Boy Who Lived, instead focusing on the story of Newt Scamander (Redmayne) in New York City. THR notes that Farrell has signed on to play the role of Graves, a wizard that Newt happens across in his search for, er, Fantastic Beasts – magizoology, to the initiated.
Other than the name Graves, there’s little-to-no information about the specifics of Farrell’s role. It’s undoubtedly an ambiguous title – even for a wizard – and we’re excited to see how his part pans out in due time. Besides, the Irish actor is perhaps best suited to a role that is neither strictly good nor evil, instead flitting between the two such as his mesmerizing turn as Ray Velcoro in True Detective season 2.
With series stalwart David Yates behind the lens and Production Designer Stuart Craig also attached to the project, Warner Bros. has big plans for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – plans that will stretch to encompass a trilogy of films. Based on a script that Rowling herself wrote, fans of the author’s wizarding world are already chomping out the bit for new information, and how exactly Newt’s textbook became a cornerstone of the Hogwarts curriculum.
Warner Bros. will go on the hunt for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them on November 18, 2016.
