Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne appears to be the frontrunner to land the lead role in the “Harry Potter” spinoff “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.”

Redmayne, who earned the Oscar nod portraying genius Stephen Hawking in “The Theory of Everything,” would be cast in the film as magiczoologist and textbook scribe Newt Scamander – despite director David Yates eyeing a few other actors, Variety reported.

“Harry Potter’’ author J.K. Rowling is writing the screenplay for the movie, which could become a trilogy. “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” is expected to start shooting this summer and is slated for a Nov. 18, 2016 release date.

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” centers on the Scamander character, set some 70 years before Harry, Hermione and Ron started their magical training at Hogwarts and has no direct connection to “Harry Potter’’ or the story told in the “Harry Potter’’ books.

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” is neither a prequel nor a sequel to the ‘Harry Potter’ series but an extension of the wizarding world,” Rowling told Variety.

In that regard, Scamander is described as a “magiczoologist,” which in the “Harry Potter” realm is a person who studies magical creatures. Besides Scamander, there are four other main roles — two American girls and two American boys — that have yet to be cast.

And while Variety has reported that Redmayne is up for the lead, The Wrap reports that actor Nicolas Hoult is also in the running to play Newt Scamander.