The first poster for Eddie Redmayne's highly anticipated The Danish Girl has been released.

Oscar winner Eddie plays transgender pioneer Einar Wegener – later known as Lili Elbe – in the movie and appears on the poster along with co-star Alicia Vikander.

The movie, set in the 1920s, is a love story about how Wegener, a painter, was persuaded by his wife Gerda Waud (Vikander) – who was also an artist – to pose for her in women’s clothes after one of her models failed to show. In time, he became Lili and started on the transformation into a woman.

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Transformation: Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne plays transgender pioneer Einar Wegener – later known as Lili Elbe – in new movie The Danish Girl and appears on the first poster along with co-star Alicia Vikander

And the poster shows Eddie in character facing the camera with a side profile of Alicia.

This year has obviously been Eddie's year after the Burberry model shot onto everyone's radar with The Theory Of Everything, for which he received a Golden Globe, Oscar and a BAFTA for Best Actor in the role of Professor Stephen Hawking.

Speaking previously about the movie, Eddie called the portrayal of transgender artist Lili Elbe 'his most challenging role yet'.

Speaking candidly about the opportunity to play Einar Wegener, later Lilli, Eddie told GQ magazine: 'I was actually offered The Danish Girl before Hawking… People go, "Oh are you doing this transformative thing?" It's not a concerted choice. I think it will be a unique experience.

Challenge: Eddie, who won an Oscar for the portrayal of Stephen Hawking, is calling this his biggest challenge

When Eddie took on the role of Hawking, he went to extensive lengths to train his body like a dancer in order to understand the complex movements of the muscles.

He recruited movement specialist Alex Reynolds and had an osteopath on hand to make his portrayal convincing.

And Eddie was method again for and is reportedly on a strict diet to lose two stone for his male to female transformation.

Eddie continued to the magazine: 'There is so much I need to investigate… It's a very famous story within the trans community. I spoke to Lana early on when I was thinking about doing it.

Succcess: The actor, who wed his sweetheart Hannah Bagshawe last summer, is on a personal and professional high

The actor, who wed his sweetheart Hannah Bagshawe last summer, has barely stopped since breaking into the Industry with My Week With Marilyn and a singing part in Les Miserables.

'If your dream is to tell stories, interesting stories, play interesting people, then I have been incredibly lucky to portray Stephen and Lili,' Eddie justified. 'They are both extraordinary people and as an actor it doesn't get better than that.'

Lili Elbe was one of the first men to have surgery to become a woman in 1930.

The Danish Girl is released in UK Cinemas New Year’s Day 2016.