It was just last week when Warner Bros. asked Johnny Depp to resign as Gellert Grindelwald in FANTASTIC BEASTS 3, but as the film is already shooting, the studio needed to fill the role sooner rather than later. "I wish to let you know that I have been asked to resign by Warner Bros. from my role as Grindelwald in ‘Fantastic Beasts’ and I have respected and agreed to that request," wrote Depp in an Instagram post. Warner Bros. thanked the actor for his work on the films to date, and also announced that the role of Grindelwald would soon be recast.
Well, Deadline has now reported that Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal) is currently at the top of a list of actors who Warner Bros. are considering to replace Depp in the role, and that he's actually already in early talks with the studio as he's the favoured choice of director David Yates. I've got to say, I'm absolutely down with this choice should it come to pass. Mikkelsen is certainly no stranger to blockbusters, as he's been featured in DOCTOR STRANGE and ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY, and I would love to see him take on the HARRY POTTER franchise as well. Although Johnny Depp may have been forced out of the FANTASTIC BEASTS franchise, he will still be receiving his full salary, said to be somewhere in the realm of eight-figures, due to his pay-or-play contract, which means that he's required to be fully compensated whether or not the film is made or even if his role is recast.
FANTASTIC BEASTS 3 has been described as a "three-hander," with Johnny Depp, Jude Law (Dumbledore), and Eddie Redmayne (Newt) sharing equal screen time, so it's no surprise that Warner Bros. is working overtime to find someone to fill Depp's role while production continues. FANTASTIC BEASTS 3 was initially slated to hit theaters on November 12, 2021, but Warner Bros. have since shifted the film to July 15, 2022.
Would you be down with Mads Mikkelsen replacing Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald for FANTASTIC BEASTS 3?