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Though Johnny Depp may be trying to appeal on his lost libel case, the production of Fantastic Beasts 3 has to move forward, and the movie needs a new Grindelwald. Rumor had come out that Hannibal actor Mads Mikkelsen was tapped for the part, and now things look official.
According to Indiewire, Mikkelsen has been cast as Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts 3, and he’s set to join the cast as they shoot in Warner Bros. Studios London. We don’t know how large Grindelwald’s part in the story is, but seeing as he’s this era’s big bad, we should expect Mikkelsen to play a very large part in the story.
While I am bummed that Depp won’t be able to complete his version of the character, I do think that Mikkelsen is a good step-up when it comes to recasting. Grindelwald is supposed to be a master manipulator, and Mikkelsen pretty much played that role when he was Hannibal Lecter; besides, the homosexual overtones in Hannibal would fit right in when it comes to the romance between Dumbledore and Grindelwald.
If I’m being honest, Depp’s work has been kind of sliding recently, and it really showed with the last Pirates of the Caribbean film and Crimes of Grindelwald. Though reports are going around about the death of his career, I think he just needs a good long break. I have no doubts a comeback is possible in a couple of years.
In the meantime, Fantastic Beasts 3 is set to release on July 15, 2022.
