“Hannibal” and “Rogue One” star Mads Mikkelsen is in early negotiations to play evil wizard Gellert Grindelwald in the upcoming third “Fantastic Beasts” film at Warner Bros. Pictures.
Mikkelsen would replace Johnny Depp who was forced to quit the currently shooting film after being asked to resign by Warner Bros. Pictures. According to The Wrap, the recasting happened early enough that no scenes need to be reshot.
Depp portrayed the evil wizard Grindelwald in a brief cameo in the first film and as the primary antagonist of the second. Depp lost a libel case recently against the tabloid The Sun that labeled him a “wife beater” and said in his statement that he plans to appeal the U.K. court’s decision.
“Fantastic Beasts 3” will continue shooting over the next few months ahead of a July 2022 release.
Source: The Wrap
