Johnny Depp Will Return As Dark Wizard in ‘Fantastic Beasts 3′

Actor Johnny Depp, who first appeared as Gellert Grindelwald in the second installment of the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise, is all set to return in the third installment of the "Harry Potter" franchise spinoff. The trilogy will start shooting in Spring 2020, in Brazil.

Apart from the prolonged production schedule, Potterheads are highly anticipating the return of Johnny Depp in “Fantastic Beasts 3.” After his first appearance in the wizarding world as the menacing Grindelwald in “Fantastic Beasts 2,“ Depp’s potential involvement with the franchise was threatened as his personal life controversy took over his career.

There were calls to recast the role entirely, after Depp’s former partner Amber Heard accused the Hollywood star of verbal and physical abuse. Ultimately, Warner Bros. decided to give him the go-signal by reprising his role.

The news shouldn’t come as a shock or surprise for the Potterheads, because the “Pirates of the Caribbean” actor had already hinted his return as the wicked Grindelwald, back in 2018. Needless to say, the shady character is indeed an indispensable part of the story. No wonder why Warner Bros. decided to recast him in the role.

Recently, Warner Bros. dropped a bunch of information on “Fantastic Beasts 3.” The third installment of the series will witness the return of Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander, Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald, Ezra Miller as Credence/Aurelius Dumbledore, Alison Sudol as Queenie Goldstein, Jude Law as Albus Dumbledore, Dan Fogler as Jacob Kowalski, and Katherine Waterson as Tina Goldstein.

Furthermore, Deadline also reported comedian Jessica Williams will have a pivotal role in the third installment. While the first two films of the series, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” and “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” was set in New York City and Paris, the third installment will be set in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and is slated to begin production in spring 2020.