Hey everyone,
Welcome to another installment of Harry Potter Theory. In this video, we’re going to be
diving into further discussion regarding the decision by Warner Bros to drop Johnny Depp,
Aka Gellert Grindelwald, from the Fantastic Beasts film franchise. First, I’m going
to be doing a brief recap on exactly what happened to Johnny, and next I’m going to
be discussing possible recasting options for the role.
Basically, Depp, the main antagonist of the film franchise- the man who plays the role
of GRINDELWALD, was asked to resign by Warner Bros. Yesterday, after resigning, he left
the following post on his Instagram:
“In light of recent events, I would like to make the following short statement.
Firstly, I’d like to thank everybody who has gifted me with their support and loyalty.
Secondly, I wish to let you know that I have been asked to resign by Warner Bros. from
my role as Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts and I have respected and agreed to that request.
Finally, I wish to say this.
The surreal judgement of the court in the U.K. will not change my fight to tell the
truth and I confirm that I plan to appeal.
My resolve remains strong and I intend to prove that the allegations against me are
false. My life and career will not be defined by this moment in time.
Thank you for reading,
Sincerely,
Johnny Depp.”
The news comes after the closing of a legal battle between Depp and a UK newspaper over
libel claims that Depp was abusive to his wife. The dropping of Depp has sparked quite
a bit of outrage among his fans worldwide, as many feel that the claims of his ex-wife
are unsubstantiated, despite the judges ruling in the libel case that he just recently lost.
Warner Bros also made a statement of their own:
“Johnny Depp will leave the Fantastic Beasts franchise. We thank him for his work on the
films so far. Fantastic Beasts 3 is currently in production, and the role of Gellert Grindelwald
will be rescheduled. The film will hit theaters in the summer of 2022.”
Despite dropping the actor that plays their main antagonist, it appears that Warner Bros
have every intention of moving forward with the film franchise without him. Filming actually
began last month on the third installment of the franchise, which we don’t yet know
the name of. We’ve had 2 so far- with 3 to come. Changing an actor in the middle of
a film franchise is never an ideal scenario, and for some, it destroys the continuity of
the films entirely. However, I will say this, the Harry Potter films were MASSIVELY popular-
and if you didn’t know already, one of the MAIN characters in the films was changed after
only 2 appearances - Albus Dumbledore, have you heard of him?
After the original Dumbledore, Richard Harris, passed away - Michael Gambon replaced him,
and the weirdest thing about it was that- despite playing the role very differently-
many fans didn’t even NOTICE. Changing an actor in the middle of a film franchise, at
least my eyes, is not the nail in the coffin- there are so many talented and diverse actors
out there- and I’m sure someone is going to do a fantastic job. Johnny Depp was great
as Grindelwald, but unfortunately he’s gone, and given that the films are going to be coming
over the next SIX years, I’m sure we’ll have ample opportunity to get used to whoever
the new actor is. With that being said, I’m going to list off a couple of my TOP choices
for actors that I can envision in the role. These actors are in no particular order.
First up, Mads Mikkelsen. Mads Mikkelsen has the perfect bad guy face, a ton of charisma,
and happens to be just about the right age for the role. In my mind, when I envision
him in the role, it just doesn’t seem like it would be awkward or forced- I think that
he would slip right in and execute it quite well. Mikkelsen is also no stranger to playing
an antagonist, and achieved worldwide recognition for playing the main antagonist Le Chiffre
in the twenty-first James Bond film, Casino Royale in 2006. However, that wasn’t his
only breakout performance as a villain, he also notably played Kaecilius in Doctor Strange,
Hannibal Lecter in NBC’s TV series Hannibal, and many others.
Next up, Bill Skarsgaard. Bill Skaarsgard is the son of Swedish actor Stellan Skaarsgard,
and he is probably most well known for his role as Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the
IT franchise- two supernatural horror films that came out in 2017 and 2019. Though Skaarsgard’s
antagonistic role as IT was quite unique, and while he hasn’t played anyone like Grindelwald,
I think that he’s got what it takes. He’s a talented, diverse young actor and I think
that he’s got the look and the voice to play Grindelwald. The only issue that comes
to mind with Bill is that he quite young- so the makeup department would have to make
sure that he looked old enough to play the part. Whoever plays Grindelwald should look
about the same age as Jude Law, who plays Dumbledore.
Next, Michael Fassbender. Michael Fassbender is a truly diverse, talented actor. I think
he has the perfect ‘look’ for Grindelwald, and he isn’t shy to playing the bad guy.
In Alien, Fassbender plays the creepy and calculated David, in the X-men franchise he
plays a young Magneto, and in 12 years a slave he plays Edwin Epps- a particularly infamous
and equally awful slave owner. As far as I know, the world of Fantasy is
relatively uncharted territory for the actor, but if he’s up for it, I think it could
be a good challenge- and with his level of screen presence I think he’d be a good fit.
Next, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (I hope I’m saying that right). Nikolaj is a Danish actor,
most famous for (in recent years) his role as Jamie Lannister in the hit tv show Game
of Thrones. He’s an incredibly diverse actor, with great screen presence, and demonstrated
ability to play characters of dubious morality. He’s certainly got the ‘look’ of Grindelwald,
at least to me, and he’s about the right age. His ability in various roles to commit
atrocities while maintaining his level of charm and charisma is what could make him
a great fit for this role.
Next up, Joaquin Phoenix. I don’t think that I need to sell anyone on Joaquin’s
acting abilities- he is one of the greatest actors in Hollywood today and his recent role
as the Joker was amazing. He fully immersed himself in the role- he became the Joker-
and any actor with that kind of dedication is a good fit for Grindelwald in my eyes.
Joaquin has a bit of a sinister, but calculated look to him, and I think that this would fit
Grindelwald’s character well. In the year 2000, Phoenix played the role of the antagonist
Commodus in Gladiator. Phoenix was an AMAZING bad guy, and I think that if he’s able to
dial in Grindelwald’s voice, then he could be a great fit for the role.
Next, Benedict Cumberbatch. Though not commonly associated with playing the role of the antagonist,
Cumberbatch is a massively talented actor with a diverse acting background. I don’t
really have any particular reason for including him on this list - I just think he’d do
a good job.
Lastly, Cillian Murphy. Cillian Murphy is an Irish actor who I feel has just the right
look for Grindelwald- he also happens to be just about the right age- 3 years younger
than Jude Law. He’s quite a diverse, talented actor with a lot of presence on-screen, and
I’m sure that he’s more than capable of playing the sinister, calculated Grindelwald.
That’s it for my list of possible actors, however, I did want to address one thing:
Colin Farrell. A lot of you have been saying that HE should be the next Grindelwald, but
there’s one huge issue with that- his character already exists independently from Grindelwald.
In the first film Farrell played MACUSA Auror Percival Graves- however, the ending revealed
that he was actually Grindelwald, having changed his appearance through the use of transfiguration
to assume Graves' identity. Given that Graves is already a character- I highly doubt that
he’ll be brought back in that way- it just wouldn’t make sense.
Who do YOU think would be a good fit for Grindelwald? Let me know in the comment section below
Until next time
It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live