‘Inherent Vice’ Star Katherine Waterston Lands Female ‘Fantastic Beasts’ Lead

After weeks of speculation, the lucky lady who will star opposite Eddie Redmayne in J.K. Rowling’s latest book-to-film adaptation, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, has been chosen.

This morning Warner Bros. announced that actress Katherine Westerson has landed the role of Tina (short for Porpentina), opposite Eddie Redmayne’s Newt Scamander.

Although a spin-off from the hugely popular Harry Potter series, the events of Fantastic Beasts actually take place about seven decades before Potter’s story even begins. The story follows the adventures of magizoologist Newt Scamander and is based on the Hogwarts textbook he eventually ends up writing, detailing said adventures. Westerson’s Porpentina meets Scamander when he stops in New York City on his travels to find and document magical creatures, according to Warner Bros.

It was originally was rumored that Waterston was being eyed for the role of Tina’s older sister Queenie, along with Kate Upton and Elizabeth Debicki, while Dakota Fanning, Saoirse Ronan , Lili Simmons and Alison Sudol were rumored to be up for the role of Tina.

If Waterston looks a bit familiar to you, it’s because she’s appeared in a number of role from films such as Inherent Vice, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby and the upcoming Steve Jobs film to TV spots on shows like Boardwalk Empire.

David Yates, who helmed the final four Harry Potter movies, is set to direct Fantastic Beasts, which begins production in London this summer.

The first Fantastic Beasts film is scheduled to debut November 18, 2016.

We’d love to hear what you think of Waterston’s casting in the comments below!

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