The first installment of what promises to be an interminable number of entries in the Fantastic Beasts universe (okay, five) hasn’t even come out yet, but the magical gears are already in motion for the movie’s sequel. We found out last week Johnny Depp will join the cast, but now we know he’ll be playing one of the most iconic figures in J.K. Rowling’s early twentieth-century wizarding world: Gellert Grindelwald.
The news comes courtesy of Harry Potter fan site The Leaky Cauldron, who spoke with Fantastic Beasts Director David Yates. He also directed the final four Harry Potter films and will helm the Fantastic Beasts sequel, too. Following news of Depp’s casting, speculation was rampant he would take on the role of Grindelwald, but the production team had yet to confirm the news until Monday.
Yates was eager to defend the controversial casting choice, claiming “the whole principle of casting the movie was ‘go with the best actor.’ Go for the most inspired, interesting, right fit for that character. And as we approached Grindelwald we thought, ‘who’s going to take this in an interesting direction?’” Yates also added, “Johnny Depp is a real artist. He’s created several characters who have really resonated in our popular culture. He’s a really brilliant, brilliant actor. We were excited about seeing what he would do with this guy, the character. He’s fearless; he’s imaginative; he’s ambitious. We thought he would do something fun and special. So we went for him, purely on that selfish basis. We don’t care if he’s famous or not famous. We just know he’s interesting.”
It seems highly unlikely Depp would have been considered at all were he truly “not famous,” and merely an unknown eccentric (and alleged spousal abuser). Even so, it’s possible this casting arrangement was already in place, if not wholly formalized, before Depp’s recent scandals hit the press.
According to Collider, Depp makes a cameo in Fantastic Beasts as Grindelwald, who has recently gone missing from Europe on a destructive magical bender with the Elder Wand. It’s very possible Depp’s character could be the big bad of the Fantastic Beasts saga. Furthermore, the love/hate relationship between Grindelwald and the young(er) Albus Dumbledore is expected to be a focus of the films, culminating in a duel with devastating consequences for the Dumbledore family.
Yates confirmed “Dumbledore comes back” in Fantastic Beasts 2, but did not reveal which actor would play the eventual Hogwarts headmaster. Several members of the roundtable suggested Jared Harris (who played Lane Pryce on Mad Men and is the son of the original cinematic Dumbledore, Richard Harris), and the director agreed, “Jared Harris is a fine actor.” he also confirmed “it’s not going to be Michael Gambon,” who stepped into the role after the elder Harris passed away in 2002.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them hits theaters worldwide Nov. 18.
How are you feeling about Fantastic Beasts? Are you hyped about the film? Worried it might be terrible? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
