kate upton might star in the ‘harry potter’ spin-off movie

Photo by Rommel Demano/Getty Images for The Daily Front Row

Gather around, Muggles! There’s another Harry Potter movie in the works and casting rumors are a-flying.

J.K. Rowling has officially finished the script for the film adaptation of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The book was originally a textbook Harry studied in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone about, well, magical creatures. Eddie Redmayne is reportedly set star as Newt Scamander, a magizoologist and author, and Kate Upton is rumored to be up for a leading role.

Now, Upton’s no stranger to being in front of the camera, but Hollywood is a far cry from the glossy world of fashion editorials. Fans as devout as Harry Potter’s will likely have many things to say about who gets cast, but we’ve got faith in Upton: She’s been gone for a minute and something as wonderful as Harry Potter could be amazing for her.

But what about all the British people? Well, this here story takes place in New York. So, expect less accents and more, uh, aggression. Good thing most wizards and witches wear black.

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Mariah Carey is replacing Kate Upton as the new public face of Game of War: Fire Age

Mariah Carey — pop icon, imperfect angel, elusive chanteuse — is replacing model Kate Upton as the public face of Game of War: Fire Age, according to TMZ. Carey's commitment includes a seven-figure pay check; a 30-second commercial filmed by Alan Taylor, the director of Thor: The Dark World and the upcoming Terminator Genisys; and the use of her music in future promotional material.

Upton was the centerpiece of a $40 million advertising campaign launched by the mobile strategy game's developer, Machine Zone, and she made her way into the game itself as the model for its de facto mascot, the goddess Athena. The sheer size of the game's ad budget is dumbfounding at first glance, but it's justified by its status as one of the highest-grossing apps across several platforms. A Bloomberg Business feature published in March noted Game of War: Fire Age hauls in more than $1 million in revenue every day. That's the kind of tremendous cash flow that convinces one of the most successful vocalists in musical history to serve as pitch-woman for a free-to-play fantasy builder on smartphones around the world. Carey's trafficked in "fantasy" before, of course, but never quite like this.

CAREY'S TRAFFICKED IN "FANTASY" BEFORE, OF COURSE, BUT NEVER QUITE LIKE THIS

Her decision to sign on with Game of War: Fire Age comes at a point in her career where she's having more trouble than ever achieving the level of dominance she made look easy 20 years ago. Recent releases like last year's strong LP Me. I Am Mariah... The Elusive Chanteuse and compilation promo single "Infinity" have failed to impact the charts in any significant way, and Carey's been forced to turn to unorthodox gimmickry — partnerships with Match.com, an ongoing stint at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas — to grab headlines.

If her work with Game of War: Fire Age is as widely and relentlessly aired as Upton's, it could grant her a level of visibility she hasn't enjoyed for a long time. And she's no stranger to playing a character: she's brought self-awareness and good humor to decadent, demanding diva-hood for well over a decade. I can't help but wonder which of her hits is going to end up being used to promote the game. Maybe she can take a cue from Upton's infamous tagline — "Will you be my hero?" — and find something fitting in her back catalog.

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