Fantastic Beasts 3: Will Mads Mikkelsen take on the Grindelwald role?

Mads Mikkelsen is apparently the top candidate for the "Fantastic Beasts" role that Johnny Depp just had to hand over.

Mads Mikkelsen (54) could replace Johnny Depp (57) as Gellert Grindelwald in "Fantastic Beasts 3". The US industry portal "Deadline" reports. After Colin Farrell (44) and Depp, the Dane would be the third actor to portray the infamous wizard in the "Harry Potter" spin-off. Farrell played the character in the first film when Grindelwald appeared in a different guise at the end of part one and in the second film Johnny Depp was seen as the adversary of Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law).

According to Variety, the Warner Bros. film studio has confirmed that it will cast Depp's role for the third part of the series. The film by director David Yates (57) is scheduled to open in cinemas in the summer of 2022. A total of five "Fantastic Beasts" films are planned. The scripts are from "Harry Potter" creator J. K. Rowling (55). In addition to Jude Law (47), Eddie Redmayne (38) will be back as Newt Scamander in the next part, both actors should already be shooting.

Full salary for idiot

Johnny Depp has apparently only appeared in front of the camera for one scene since filming began on September 20. The Hollywood star should still receive his fee in full, as "The Hollywood Reporter" reported. Depp therefore benefits from a so-called "Pay or Play" contract with Warner Bros. This provides that Depp is fully compensated, regardless of whether he turns "Fantastic Beasts 3" or not. Even in the event that his role is newly filled, the 57-year-old can count on receiving his alleged eight-figure salary in full.

The actor complied with Warner Bros.'s request to step down from his role. The decision was preceded by the lost mega-trial against the British newspaper "The Sun", which Depp described in an article in 2018 as a "woman's thug". A judge at the Royal Courts of Justice in London declared Depp's libel suit against the editor of the newspaper null and void.

Already after Depp's resignation, many fans on the internet campaigned for Mads Mikkelsen as his successor. With roles as "Bond" villain or serial cannibal "Hannibal", the 54-year-old has proven that he can master the mixture of charismatic and diabolical …

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