You know you’re excited for this: Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne will lend his voice to the Thomas the Tank Engine movie.

Eddie Redmayne is doing his first ever animation feature, playing Ryan in the upcoming Thomas and Friends DVD. The story is titled “Sodor’s Legend of the Lost Treasure.”

Coming straight off his Best Actor Oscar win for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything, Redmayne tells the BBC that he “jumped at the opportunity” to do a bit of voice work.

Related: Stephen Hawking congratulates Eddie Redmayne on Oscar win

“I grew up loving to watch Thomas and his pals getting caught up in unexpected and mischievous adventures,” he says. “I have never voiced an animated character before, and I had a complete blast.”

Here’s a picture of the actor in the studio, with the character Ryan on the screen behind him:

Redmayne has already proven what a powerful, adaptable voice he has: in the Wachowskis’ hit-or-miss space fairytale Jupiter Ascending, the 33-year-old Brit delivered an absolutely haunting performance as Balem Abrasax.

Thomas the Tank Engine is on one end of the spectrum when it comes to diversifying his portfolio. On the other end is The Danish Girl, in which Redmayne plays a transgender woman.

The first image from the movie shows Redmayne after his character’s transformation:

Talking about the real-life story of Einar Wegener and his wife Gerda, Redmayne has called it, “a study of authenticity, identity and love. I think it’s the most sensitive role I have played.”