Earlier this month, it was confirmed thatJohnny Depphas come aboard to play the notorious dark wizardGellert Grindelwaldin a small cameo appearance inFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, before returning with a much larger role inFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2. Now that the movie has arrived in theaters with Thursday sneak preview screenings, producerDavid Heymanand directorDavid Yatesrevealed new details about whyJohnny Deppwas cast, and the sequel itself.
CinemaBlendrecently spoke withDavid Heyman, who produced all of the originalHarry Potter movies, about this new spinoff. The producer revealed that they were looking for an actor with several distinct qualities, andJohnny Deppfit the bill in every way. Here’s what he had to say about his casting.
“One of the things aboutJohnnyis that he’s an artist, he’s a great actor, he has created iconic characters, he’s played those parts in a surprising way. And I think that’s what we wanted. We wanted someone with authority and charm, who could seduce you in one hand but kill you in the other, and who would be surprising. Who is a great actor, who you could imagine in the world.”
In the originalHarry Potterstories, Gellert Grindelwald was mentioned as a former friend of Hogwarts headmasterAlbus Dumbledore, who had an interest in finding the Deathly Hallows at one point in time. They were both instrumental in the International Statute of Secrecy, which allowed both the wizarding world and the muggle world to co-exist in secret. DirectorDavid Yatesconfirmed during a recent fan event that Grindelwald will be featured in the background of Fantastic Beasts, and it is believed that he will have a much larger role inFantastic Beasts 2. The director, who has already been confirmed to directFantastic Beasts 2, also spoke quite highly ofJohnny Depp.
“When you think of all the actors that are fearless, that are real artists, who in their career have created characters that have become a firm part of our culture, it’s quite a short list. And you think of an actor that’s going to come at it with a real sense of ambition – fierce ambition. And Johnny just kind of felt like a natural fit for all of that. And it’s a big pair of shoes to fill. And we were all very excited about him joining the film.”
Fantastic Beasts 2will shift the action from New York City to Paris, but not much else has been revealed about the story. Warner Bros. recently confirmed that this franchise has expanded from a trilogy to five movies. Now thatFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themhas hit theaters, hopefully we’ll learn Beasts 2in the very near future.
