Mads Mikkelsen confirmed to replace Johnny Depp in Fantastic Beasts film
- by Leland Aguilar
- in Entertaiment
- — Nov 30, 2020
On November 6, the official Warner Bros statement said: "Johnny Depp will depart the Fantastic Beasts franchise".
There's been a ton of buzz surrounding Fantastic Beasts 3 owing to Johnny Depp, who fans saw as Gellert Grindelwald in the popular franchise. While Depp played Grindelwald in the first two Fantastic Beasts films, Michael Byrne and Jamie Campbell Bower also portrayed the character in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 with Bower reprising the role in The Crimes of Grindelwald.
Earlier this month a High Court judge rejected Depp's claim that a newspaper had committed libel when it called him a "wife-beater".
It comes after Depp was asked to step down from his role in the Fantastic Beasts film franchise after a United Kingdom judge found allegations of domestic abuse "substantially true", prompting Depp's fans to start the petition aiming to get three million signatures.
Despite the rejection of this appeal, Depp's legal team could still take the case directly to the UK's Court of Appeal.
"So I know as much as you do from the newspapers", he added.
He said: "Firstly, I'd like to thank everyone who gifted me their support and loyalty". Now it seems Warner Bros. has finally, belatedly made a decision to do something about it. Depp will still be paid his full eight-figure salary for Fantastic Beasts 3, having shot one scene before he was expelliarmused. Studios Leavesden. While principal photography has started, a new Grindelwald has been cast after the studio asked Johnny Depp to step down from the role of the Fantastic Beasts heavy after losing a libel case.
And though the actor has left the film franchise, Depp will reportedly still receive his full eight-figure salary, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
His role will be replaced by Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen.
He has since starred in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Dr Strange and TV series Hannibal.
