Eddie Redmayne's jaw "physically dropped" when he read the 'Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald' script.

Eddie Redmayne

Eddie Redmayne

The 36-year-old actor reprises his role as Newt Scamander in the upcoming sequel to 2016's 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' - which is a spin-off of the 'Harry Potter' franchise - and has said that there are so many "huge surprises" in the movie that he couldn't contain his shock when he first read through the script.

Speaking at the UK premiere of the movie at London's Leicester Square on Tuesday (13.11.18), he said: "What is in store? Well, all I can really explain is how I felt when I read the script, which is ... Each page turned and I read it quicker, and quicker, and quicker. I was so dumbfounded that my jaw physically dropped. My wife came in and saw me with my jaw [open] sort of drooling a little bit. There are huge surprises."

And Eddie praised writer J.K. Rowling for creating a movie which spans multiple genres, but still keeps hold of the "warm magical embrace" that fans know and love.

He added: "What I think Jo's done is made a film that is ... It's all these different genres, it's kind of ... it's a thriller, it's a comedy, it's a romantic comedy at moments, it's got all of that with her warm magical embrace as well."

But despite loving the script, Eddie admits he was "nervous" to read through the pages at first, and made sure to re-read it as soon as he had finished it.

He said: "Jo's new script arrives on your desk and your character is given all these new circumstances, and different edges, and kind of knotty qualities. It was actually heaven. Although I was so nervous reading that script, because you've waited all that time, that I kind of got through it, breathed, and started all over again and read it a second time."

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