There is no denying the void that Harry Potter films have left behind. Luckily Warner Bros. has given spinoff movies the green light. The first spinoff will be an adaptation of the classic Hogwarts textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Newt Scamander, a “magizoologist” who writes the textbook for which the film is based on, will be played by Eddie Redmayne. It will be directed by David Yates using script by J.K. Rowling.

Now Fantastic Beasts is looking for some female leads, and a new report says that Saoirse Ronan and Dakota Fanning are among those in the running for one role, while Kate Upton and Elizabeth Debicki are among those up for another. More on the story below.

The Wrap says that the two roles are Queenie and Queenie’s older sister Tina. According to the report, Ronan (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Hanna), Fanning (Effie Grey, Very Good Girls), Lili Simmons (Showtime’s Banshee), and Alison Sudol (USA’s Dig, Amazon’s Transparent) are in running for Queenie.

Upton (The Other Woman, The Three Stooges), Debicki (The Man From U.N.C.L.E., The Great Gatsby), and Katherine Waterston (Inherent Vice, Michael Clayton) are in the running for Tina.

The report adds that it is unclear whether all the actresses are available or if they’re even interested in Fantastic Beasts. It also says that this may be an incomplete list as Warner Bros. may be eyeing other actresses that do not appear on this list. However, it appears that Redmayne is expected to test alongside these actresses over the course of next week.

Of the names on the list Ronan and Fanning are the most recognizable, while Upton has made a name for herself as a swimsuit supermodel who doubles as an actress.

It should also be noted that Debicki and Waterston have worked on WB-related projects recently. Waterston worked opposite Joaquin Phoenix in Inherent Vice, while Debicki’s career launched thanks to The Great Gatsby. She will also be appearing in The Man From U.N.C.L.E., which is another film under the WB banner.

The plot of the film is currently being kept under wraps, with only a handful of agencies getting a glimpse of Rowling’s screenwriting debut script. We do know that the story will be set seventy years prior to the Potter films, in 1920s New York.

WB intends to launch Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them as a trilogy. The first film will be released November 18, 2016.

[Source: The Wrap]