John Voight Joins Cast of ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’

The film of the much publicized Harry Potter spinoff, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, got a new A-lister in the form of Jon Voight, who just announced he’ll be joining Eddie Redmayne and the rest of the cast. At the same time, Carmen Ejogo (Selma) and Gemma Chan (Humans) announced they would be a part of the film as well.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them  is being directed by David Yates, who directed four of the films in the Harry Potter saga, and it was written by J.K. Rowling herself. The screenplay is based directly from the book that Rowling released shortly after the series ended.The film was announced in early 2014 and they began filming on August 17 of this year in England. It’s set to be released in UK theaters November 18, 2016.

Voight, Redmayne, and Ejogo aren’t the only big names to join the production. It’s been reported that Alison Sudol, Dan Fogler, Colin Farrell, Katherine Waterston, Christine Marzano, and Samantha Morton are all going to play integral roles in the diverse cast of wizards and witches.

The story follows Newt Scamander, a wizard living 70 years before Harry Potter was born. Scamander is a celebrated magizoologist who started out working for the Ministry of Magic. He is most notably  recognized for finding the cure to dragon pox and his of dragon research. He earned an Order of Merlin, Second Class in 1979 for his efforts, according to Rowling. The story accompanies Scamander on his research trips and adventures as he tracks down magical creatures.

At some point, Scamander ends up in New York City, which has American fans of the series extremely excited. Rowling has revealed that one of many other magical schools in the Harry Potter universe is housed in New York City.

When he isn’t busy on set in Leavesden, England,  Eddie Redmayne occasionally provides updates regarding the film’s progress. In September, he said he’s extremely excited to be playing such a major role.

“It’s a complete privilege for me,” Redmayne told E! News. “I love J.K. Rowling. I love the Harry Potter films [and] books, so for me this is just the most wondrous gift really.

However, he feels a lot of pressure to do it right. The film already has a built-in fan network, and he has some pretty big shoes to fill. If he disappoints, critics won’t go easy on him.

“The stakes are high because they were so good before,” he said, referring to the Harry Potter films. “You don’t want to screw it up.”

Daniel Radcliffe is one actor who can identify with this kind of pressure. As the actor who played Harry Potter himself for 10 years, he knows what it’s like to feel pressured to perform in front of the millions of fans watching. About Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Radcliffe told E! News:

“I’m excited to see them, especially with Eddie. He’s awesome. I think it’s be fantastic. I’m intrigued to see what they’re going to do.

Radcliffe also confirmed that he has no plans of participating in future Harry Potter films, but that could change as Rowling continues to deliver fresh content. For now, fans are simply content with this Harry Potter spinoff.