Eddie Redmayne was born to play magizoologist Newt Scamander in “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” according to producer David Heyman.

”Eddie was our first choice,” Heyman told tv3. “He’s very good at playing characters that are out of step, as it were, and bringing to them a real heart and compassion. He has a desire to bring truth to every moment. He’s very charming and appealing to men and women alike. And he’s a timeless actor, so he fits perfectly into 1920s New York.”

The film, written by J.K. Rowling, follows Scamander, a Ministry of Magistry employee who accidently unleashes a briefcase full of magical creatures upon NYC in the roaring twenties. Katherine Waterston, Colin Farrell and Ezra Miller also star.

”Newt is someone who can communicate better with his creatures than he does with people,” Heyman said of Redmayne’s character. “He’s a Brit who finds himself in the US and the American magical universe is different to the British one.”

Redmayne said shooting the film, which wrapped last month, was “a wonder.”

“It’s just unlike anything I’ve ever been a part of,” Redmayne said. “It’s like imagination taken to the extreme.”

Rowling was intimately involved with the production process. According to Heyman, ”We’d run concepts by her, she’d give her thoughts and we’d adjust accordingly. She certainly was aware of all the lead casting choices before we finalized them.”

Redmayne said he asked Rowling “800 questions” to prepare for the role.

“I met J.K. Rowling and what’s so amazing is that her imagination is so full and thorough — it’s so encyclopedic of her world,” he told ComingSoon.net.

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” directed by David Yates, opens Nov. 18, 2016. [Source]