Warner Bros. has officially confirmed Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen as Dark Wizard Gellert Grindelwald in the upcoming Fantastic Beasts 3, he is replacing Johnny Depp, who has played this role in the first two Fantastic Beasts films. Earlier this month, Depp was asked to leave the franchise by WB after he lost in the UK courts over allegations of being a “wife-beater,” in a 2018 article from “The Sun.”
Following Johnny Depp's exit, Warner Bros. delayed the “Fantastic Beasts 3” from Nov. 12, 2021, to July 15, 2022. The movie is currently in production at Warner Bros Studios Leavesden outside of London.
There were also rumors of Colin Farrell being approached for this role, but his busy schedule made him unavailable considering the fact he is currently shooting for The Batman, and it conflicts with Fantastic Beast schedule.
The prequel series by author J. K. Rowling set decades before the adventures of the Harry Potter series, is intended to be a five-film franchise.
“Harry Potter” veteran David Yates is returning to direct the third movie. The franchise centers on magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), who becomes a confidant of Albus Dumbledore, portrayed by Jude Law.
Mikkelsen is known for “Hannibal” and “Doctor Strange,” David Yates is a big fan of Mikkelsen, and he wanted him for this role. He most recently wrapped the Doug Liman-directed Chaos Walking, which stars Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley.
Mikkelsen will join Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, and Dan Fogler. Jessica Williams, who briefly appeared as Professor Eulalie “Lally” Hicks in 2018’s “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” is expected to have a bigger role in the upcoming film.