'Hannibal' star Mads Mikkelsen in talks for 'Fantastic Beasts 3'
We recently predicted five worthy actors who could do justice to Johnny Depp's character in the now-vacant role of Fantastic Beasts 3. And it turns out that our first and strongest prediction may come true as the producers are in early talks with Danish actor par excellence Mads Mikkelsen for the role of Gellert Grindelwald. Here are more details.
The reason for choosing Mikkelsen is director David Yates himself, who is a big fan of the 54-year-old Casino Royale actor. Fantastic Beasts 3 has a tight deadline to maintain, given the fact that its release date was shifted from 2021 to an unconfirmed summer 2022 date. And it's already in production with actors Eddie Redmayne and Jude Law shooting for it.
Sources say the film will give equal screen space to Mikkelsen, Redmayne and Law, which boils down to the fact that fans of Hannibal will get enough of his subtle undertones and of course, that unmistakable accent. What is also good for Warner Bros. is the fact that Mikkelsen will agree for a much cheaper price than Depp's jaw-dropping one-scene haul after his exit.
While this news is awesome, there are also concerns if a star who almost always brings understated elegance and class to each of his roles would stay true to the drama Depp has been known for. The two-film history between Depp and the Fantastic Beasts franchise puts any replacement, specifically Mikkelsen, in a position to bring some similarity even if creators explain things magically.
Meanwhile, thanks to his roles in Doctor Strange, Casino Royale and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Mikkelsen has become the favorite American villain, so much so that an artwork reimagining him as Dracula has gone viral. His another legendary performance is Hannibal, for which he "would love to see a Season 4. Would like to wrap it up." Let's keep our fingers crossed!
