Mads Mikkelsen officially replaces Johnny Depp in Fantastic Beasts 3

We had previously reported that Mads Mikkelsen is in talks to replace Johnny Depp in the Fantastic Beasts franchise. According to Indiewire, Warner Bros has officially confirmed that the Hannibal actor will play Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts 3 and its sequels. 

Johnny Depp, who played the role of dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald in the first two films, recently announced that he has been forced to exit the franchise after he lost his case against The Sun that published an article in 2018 alleging he was a 'wife-beater'. It was also reported that since Depp had shot only one scene for the third part before leaving the film, Mikkelsen would not need to replicate much footage. 

The yet-to-be-titled third film's shooting is currently underway at Warner Bros Studios Leavesden, outside of London. Most of the cast members from the second film, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, are said to be returning for the third film. This includes Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, and Jude Law.

Fantastic Beasts 3 is scheduled for release on July 15, 2022.