Harry Potter fans received an early Christmas present on Tuesday as the announcement trailer for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was released. Starring Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne, the spin-off to JK Rowling's successful Harry Potter series takes place in 1926, decades before Harry, Ron and Hermione walked the halls at Hogwarts.
The trailer sees Eddie in character as Newt Scamander, a magical zoologist who arrives in New York City with a suitcase full of exotic and supernatural creatures. Chaos ensues when some of the creatures escape into the magic-intolerant world of the 'No-Maj' – a group who are intolerant of wizards and witches.
Eddie Redmayne stars in the Fantastic Beasts trailer
After the two-minute trailer was released #FantasticBeastsTrailer began trending on Twitter, as fans rushed to express their excitement about the film.
Author JK Rowling also voiced her enthusiasm for the film on Twitter, writing: "Thank you for all your #FantasticBeasts messages! It feels wonderful to show you a tiny part of what we've been working on for so long!"
The film is due for release in November 2016
The author makes her screenwriting debut for the movie, which is due for release in November 2016 – five years after the original Harry Potter film series came to an end. The highly anticipated film is directed by David Yates, who was at the helm of the final four Harry Potter films, and also sees Colin Farrell and Samantha Morton make their introduction to the wizarding world.
It was announced in June that Eddie would be playing the lead role in Fantastic Beasts, with Warner Bros exec Greg Silverman describing him as an "extraordinarily talented" actor in a statement.
The film is a prequel to the popular Harry Potter series
"Eddie Redmayne has emerged as one of today’s most extraordinarily talented and acclaimed actors," Warner Bros exec Greg Silverman said in a statement.
"We are thrilled to welcome him into J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World, where we know he will deliver a remarkable performance as Newt Scamander, the central character in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."