Eddie Redmayne had to swim outdoors during British winter for Fantastic Beasts 3

Eddie Redmayne was forced to swim outdoors during the freezing British winter for a scene in Fantastic Beasts 3.

The Theory of Everything star, who leads the magical franchise as Newt Scamander, is currently filming the third instalment after the production was postponed from summer to winter due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

As a result of the delay, Redmayne had to go for a swim during the British winter rather than the summer.

During an interview with Jamie Dornan for Variety's Actors on Actors series, the Fifty Shades of Grey star asked what fans can expect from the third film.

"I can't tell you anything other than the fact that I think I've got some night shoots in Watford, in (Warner Bros. Studios) Leavesden that we were meant to shoot in the summer in water," he said. "But now obviously because of lockdown, and the film shutdown, they're being shot in early December. And suddenly you find yourself swimming outdoors in British winter."

He added that he was unable to tell Jamie, who he used to live with in Los Angeles at the start of their careers, any details about the storyline.

"What can I tell you about the plot? Really, not much, mate. I mean, when you come over for dinner, I can tell you. Except - I can't, because that would be the NDA (non-disclosure agreement) that I signed," he joked.

Fantastic Beasts 3, based on books by J.K. Rowling, has had a troubled production. In addition to the delays to filming, Warner Bros. bosses were also forced to recast Johnny Depp after he lost his libel trial against The Sun newspaper over an article which described him as a "wife beater" in relation to abuse allegations made by his ex-wife Amber Heard.

His character Gellert Grindelwald will now be played by Mads Mikkelsen.