Trailer For Fantastic Beasts 3 Provides First Look At Significant Casting Change

The first trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore was released on December 13.

The film is the third in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, first penned by Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling.

In the long-awaited third film, Albus Dumbledore (played by Jude Law) is struggling with the knowledge that Gellert Grindelwald is making headway in seizing control of the wizarding world.

The previous film, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, released in 2018, revealed the two wizards had struck a deal in their youth that prevents them from ever dueling each other.

Nevertheless, the dark wizard’s forces are becoming too strong to ignore; hence Dumbledore calls upon magizoologist Newt Scamander for help to prevent a destructive wizarding war. 

The trailer makes references to the source material and original Harry Potter film series, as the trailer provides glimpses of the Hogwarts castle people know and love.

Which Cast Members Are Set To Return?

Alongside Eddie Redmayne and Jude Law, many cast members from the previous two films are set to return. 

This includes Ezra Miller, Katherine Waterson, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Callum Turner, William Nadylam, Poppy Corby-Tuech, and Jessica Williams.

Harry Potter veteran director David Yates is making a comeback in the prequel film that takes place many years before the Golden Trio gets to Hogwarts. 

The news that Mads Mikkelsen would replace Johnny Depp as Grindelwald was met with polarizing responses.

The Firing of Johnny Depp

 After playing a role in the first two installments of the series, Depp was asked to leave the franchise by Warner Bros.

The actor broke the news via Instagram, where he released a statement saying:

“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,”

Depp’s casting as Grindelwald at the beginning of the series had been controversial. 

Actress Amber Heard filed for divorce from Depp in 2016, claiming he had beat her repeatedly. After the divorce was finalized, the couple seemed to have parted seamlessly.

 The following year Depp filed a lawsuit against British tabloid The Sun, which had labeled him a “wife-beater.” 

Warner Bros. defended the decision to cast Depp in the film, releasing a statement in which the studio is adamant that “there was never any intent of physical or emotional harm” and would support Depp. 

The films Depp had been a part of were financially successful. The first film generated over $800 million at the global box office, and the sequel generated $654 million. 

In spite of mixed reviews, many critics agreed that Depp’s abilities as Grindelwald elevated the less-than-stellar script of The Crimes of Grindelwald. Nevertheless, fans were eager to see what the actor had in store for the trilogy’s third installment.

Depp’s departure from the film coincided with him losing his libel case, a fact he addressed in his statement:

“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.”

His appeal was rejected in March 2021.

Unfortunately for the actor, his legal troubles did not end there. 

In 2019, he sued Heard for defamation over an op-ed she wrote about her abusive relationship experiences.

He alleged that he had been the subject of Heard’s abuse, contesting her claims. He believed she and her legal team constituted a hoax against him. 

The case is scheduled to go to trial in Virginia next year. 

Many of Depp’s supporters signed a virtual petition to have Heard fired from Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. 

She then countersued Depp, using the petition to state that he had conducted a Twitter harassment campaign and orchestrated her potential firing from the film, as well as a brand deal with L’Oreal.

Enter: Mads Mikkelsen

After Depp was fired from the film, Warner Bros. announced that Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen would replace him as Grindelwald. 

Mikkelsen, who has made a name for himself in Hollywood through his appearances in the James Bond franchise and his leading role in the Hannibal television series, was hailed for his performance in the Danish film Another Round last year.

His version of Dumbledore is more than just a standard recast. 

Where Depp’s dark wizard had white hair that stood on end, heterochromia, and a Regarding trim mustache, Mikkelsen looks starkly different.

Except for the streak of white hair, the two versions of Grindelwald look different, and the film makes little attempt to keep physical appearances consistent. This may have been done to distance the character from Depp amidst his many legal troubles.

The reason for these physical differences can be explained through the film itself, with the script justifying the fact that the wizard can alter his own physical appearance to confuse matters for Dumbledore. 

It has already been established that the character has repeatedly altered his appearance drastically; therefore, a recast would be readily justifiable. 

There is, however, a chance the film may not acknowledge the change at all, and the audience may have to suspend their disbelief and take the recast as it is.

The series is slated to have two more movies following the release of The Crimes of Grindelwald, meaning audiences will eventually adjust to seeing Mikkelsen in the role over time. 

Regarding the film franchise itself, the controversy surrounding Depp’s casting and firing has generated a considerable amount of interest in this second sequel. 

Audiences and critics are eager to see if Mikkelsen opted to stick to the precedent set by Depp or if he has altered the character to suit his abilities.

The consensus appears that Mikkelsen’s Grindelwald will be the stronger of the two, but only time will tell if this is true.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore will be released on April 15, 2022.