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Mads Mikkelsen: Find out who he is – the actor chosen to replace Johnny Depp in Fantastic Beasts

Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen was chosen by Warner Bros. Pictures to replace Johnny Depp in the role of Gerardo Grindelwald in the fantastic beasts franchise.

The news portal IndieWire reported that the lineup was confirmed by the studio in a statement to the U.S. press release. The lineup was also announced by Entertainment Weekly magazine.

Depp resigned from the role at the studio’s request on November 6. The premiere of the third Fantastic Beasts, which takes place in Brazil, was postponed for the second time, to July 14, 2022, after the actor’s departure.

Who is Mads Mikkelsen

By Marina Anderi, Pedro Martins and Rodrigo Cavalheiro

Mads Mikkelsen is a 54-year-old Danish actor. On stage since 1996, he is considered one of the main personalities of contemporary cinema in Denmark. Mikkelsen collects awards and, in 2012, won the most important of his career, the Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival for the film The Hunt.

Recognized in Hollywood, Mikkelsen’s talent is no stranger to blockbusters, in which he often portrays characters who act against the ‘good guys’ such as magizoologist Newt Scamander, played by Eddie Redmayne in Fantastic Beasts.

Mads Mikkelsen, the new Grindelwald
Mads Mikkelsen, the new Grindelwald

Mikkelsen played the James Bond antagonist in 007: Casino Royale (2006), a role that led him to international fame, and Doctor Strange’s villain (2016), Kaecilius. His participation as the serial killer protagonist of the television series Hannibal (2013–2015) also garnered fans and industry recognition.

Locker to make Gerardo Grindelwald, the ambitious wizard and manipulator of Fantastic Beasts, Mads Mikkelsen has to spare.

The departure of Johnny Depp

Despite leaving the role of Grindelwald, Johnny Depp isexpected to receive his full salary of about $10 million for the third film in the franchise, for which he filmed only one scene.

After the actor’s departure, the premiere of the third Fantastic Beasts was postponed. The film was scheduled to hit theatres in November 2020, but was rescheduled for November 2021 and now for July 2022, according to news site Deadline.

Johnny Depp as Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts
Johnny Depp as Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts (Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures/Disclosure)

Fantastic Beasts 3 was scheduled to be filmed from March 2020. Pre-production and testing had already been completed, but the coronavirus’s arrival in England halted production.

Months later, with permission from the British health authorities, filming began on September 20, 2020, without an official announcement by Warner Bros. Pictures, just as it happened with The Batman.

The Hollywood Reporter also reported that Depp’s departure will not cause changes in the filming schedule, as the studio was already climbing Mikkelsen to the role.

Johnny Depp wanted Amber Heard in the role of Queenie
Queenie Goldstein, played by Alison Sudol, on Fantastic Beastposters

Fantastic Beasts 3

Mads Mikkelsen will act alongside Eddie Redmayne (Newt Scamander), Katherine Waterston (Tina Goldstein), Alison Sudol (Queenie Goldstein), Dan Fogler (Jacob Kowalski), and Jude Law as interpreter for Professor Albus Dumbledore.

Written by J.K. Rowling and Steve Kloves, Fantastic Beasts 3 is directed by David Yates. The film will have scenes set in Rio de Janeiro and Berlin, capital of Germany.

Johnny Depp alongside Eddie Redmayne and Jude Law
Johnny Depp alongside Eddie Redmayne (Newt) and Jude Law (Dumbledore) on fantastic beastposter (Image: Warner Bros. Pictures/Disclosure)

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