The iconic actor has been confirmed as dark wizard Grindelwald
Photo: Andrea Raffin / Shutterstock.com
It’s true: Johnny Depp is indeed going to appear in the second Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movie, and director David Yates recently confirmed that the Pirates of the Caribbean star will be playing dangerous dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald.
Yates, who directed the final four Harry Potter films and the soon-to-be-released Fantastic Beasts, told The Leaky Cauldron, “We were excited about seeing what [Johnny Depp] would do with [Gellert Grindelwald], the character. He’s fearless; he’s imaginative; he’s ambitious. We thought he would do something fun and special.”
In “Harry Potter” canon, Grindelwald reigned terror upon the magical universe with the powerful Elder Wand, before disappearing into thin air. He is eventually captured and imprisoned in Azkaban, where the terrifying Voldermort interrogates and murders him to acquire the Elder Wand. Chances are, in the Fantastic Beasts timeline, we will witness Grindelwald at the height of his power.
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Depp in last year’s action-comedy film Mortdecai. (Photo: BagoGames / Flickr)
It would seem that Yates has had his eyes set on recruiting Depp into the Potterverse for a while; praising the actor – who has won 12 People’s Choice Awards and one Golden Globe – Yates enthused, “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.”
More details have also been teased by producer David Heyman, including the setting of Fantastic Beasts 2. Heyman said, “We do go back to the UK in the second film as well – it’s UK and Paris… I think it will be difficult to ignore America, but the next one is predominately Europe.”
Credence (Ezra Miller, left) will play a “crucial” role in the following Fantasic Beasts movie.
(Photo: © 2016 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved. Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts Publishing Rights © JKR.)
Finally, Yates revealed that Ezra Miller’s character, an anti-witchcraft No-Maj Credence Barebone, will play a pivotal role and become “quite crucial” in the next installment.
Since “Harry Potter” series author JK Rowling has revealed that she’s planning a total of five Fantastic Beasts films, we wonder which other talented and loved actors will be pulled into this magical universe. Benedict Cumberbatch? Daisey Ridley? Kit Harrington? Our jimmies are tingling in excitement.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them opens in theatres on 17 Nov.
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