Colin Farrell joins Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them

Colin Farrell has been confirmed to star in upcoming Harry Potter spin-off, Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them. He will joining Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne as part of the Warner Bros adaptation.

Set about seven decades before the events of the Potter saga, Fantastic Beasts is based on a Hogwarts textbook, fictionally written by author-turned-magizoologist Newt Scamander as he discovers new magical species on his travels around the world.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Seven Psychopaths actor is set to play wizard Graves, who meets Scamander while he is visiting New York. Not much is known about his character so far, most importantly whether he'll be a friend or foe to Scamander.

The Theory Of Everything star Redmayne was confirmed to be playing lead Scamander in June and following on from his announcement, the spin-off has added Hannibal's Dan Fogler, Katherine Waterston (Inherent Vice) and Transparent' s Alison Sudol to the cast list.

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower's Ezra Miller had previously been rumoured to be playing a character named Kredan, however author J.K. Rowling has since stated that there is no such fictional figure and he will not be appearing in the movie adaptation. Miller might still be involved in some capacity, just not in the role that everyone originally believed he would be.

It's not just the actors that make a strong team for Fantastic Beasts either, as wizarding world veteran David Yates returns to the huge franchise to direct. David Heyman, who has previously produced all of the Harry Potter movies to do the same and Steve Kloves, writer of seven out of eight Potter films will be accompanying him. Whilst Rowling is set to pen the screenplay. The spin-off is scheduled for a UK release on 18 November 2016.

Farrell, whose acting credits includes hits such as Horrible Bosses, Saving Mr Banks and In Bruges, will next be seen in Solace, a mystery thriller that also starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Anthony Hopkins. Shortly after that is released, he will be seen again in Cannes Film Festival favourite, The Lobster opposite Rachel Weisz, Spectre's Ben Whishaw and Léa Seydoux, and John C. Reilly.