Harry Potterfans are getting their first glimpse ofMads Mikkelsenin the role of Gellert Grindelwald.
Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller and other cast members return, thoughJohnny Depp, 58, who last played Grindelwald in 2018’sThe Crimes of Grindelwald, is not reprising his role. Deppexited the rolein November 2020 amid legal woes involving his ex-wifeAmber Heard’s assault allegations, which he has denied.
Mads Mikkelsen inFantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.Warner Bros. Pictures
In June, Mikkelsen said hewished he could have spoken to Deppbefore taking over the role.
“I mean, obviously, they were going to do the film, and obviously he was not involved anymore,” MikkelsentoldThe Sunday Timesat the time.
“I didn’t have a dog in that fight,” he added. “I don’t know what happened [in his private life] and I don’t know if it was fair, him losing the job, but I just knew that the show was going on. And I would’ve loved to havetalked to him about it if I had the chance, but I just don’t know him in that sense.”
Warner Bros. Pictures
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“But they called me and they were obviously in a hurry, and I loved the script and so said yes. And I know it was controversial for many people, but that’s just the way it plays out once in a while,” he continued.
Mikkelsen also spoke about making the character his own.
“I didn’t want to copy what Johnny had done. I think he’s a masterful actor, so copying him would’ve been creative suicide,” Mikkelsen said. “I had to figure out something that was definitely my own, and yet also act as a bridge to what he had done.”
“My take is different, and the look is a little different, but we’ll have to wait for the film’s release to find out,” the actor noted.
Mads Mikkelsen; Johnny Depp.Daniele Venturelli/WireImage; Pascal Le Segretain/Getty
Mikkelsen previously opened up toEntertainment Weeklyaboutthe circumstances of his casting.
“Job-wise, it’s obviously super interesting and nice,” he said in December 2020. “It’s also a shocker that it came after what happened, which is just super sad. I wish both of them the best. These are sad circumstances. I hope both of them will be back in the saddle again really soon.”
Heard, 35, willreturn as Mera in the upcomingAquamansequelAquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which is also a Warner Bros. project.
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledoreis in theaters on April 15.
source: people.com
