Another big name has signed on for the Harry Potter spinoff Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The most recent addition is Jon Voight, reports THR, with Gemma Chan and Carmen Ejogo joining the cast as well.
The film centers on the travels of magi-zoologist Newt Scamander, whom fans of the book series may recognize as the author of a fictional textbook on magical creatures used by Hogwarts students. (Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling after completing the Harry Potter series wrote the book herself under Scamander’s name.) The film, which is currently shooting in England, follows the expert (played by Eddie Redmayne) as he encounters various magical species, as well as people, in different parts of the world.
No information has been released about the characters that will be played by the three latest actors to join, but they could very well be some of the wizards and muggles that Scamander meets on his journey. Colin Farrell has already been confirmed as one such character. Other members of the cast include Katherine Waterston, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, and Samantha Morton.
Voight is well known for a lengthy movie career, which has garnered four Academy Award nominations (with one win) and several Golden Globes. He currently appears on the Showtime series Ray Donovan. Gemma Chan and Carmen Ejogo also have a hefty amount of acting work under their belts; Chan stars in Humans, a USA sci-fi thriller, and Ejogo most recently portrayed Coretta Scott King in Selma.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is being written by Rowling, who also serves as a producer. She’s joined by fellow producers and Harry Potter vets David Heyman, Steve Kloves, and Lionel Wigram. Meanwhile, David Yates, director of three Harry Potter installments, helms the film.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is expected to hit theaters on Nov. 18, 2016.
