Johnny Depp confirms he will be back as Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts 3

Johnny Depp has confirmed that he will be reprising his role as Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts 3. 

The 55-year-old recently spoke about how much he loved the role, choosing to play the evil Grindelwald as a "sensitive, concerned yet manipulative and powerful wizard". In an interview with Collider earlier this week, he said that production is expected to begin again "in the middle of next year." Depp added:

"The possibilities in that world are wide open, so you can really try anything. "So it was a gas and I look forward to the next installment, which I think we start the middle of next year."

The news of Depp's casting as the dark wizard was first announced in 2016 and has since proven to be divisive among Harry Potter fans. Many fans of the franchise began calling for him to be recast after his ex-wife, Amber Heard, filed for a domestic violence restraining order against him. Depp has denied any and all of the allegations of domestic violence against him. J.K. Rowling and director David Yates have since issued statements defending the decision to not recast the role. Almost a year since the news was revealed that Depp would be joining the franchise, J.K. Rowling issued a statement on her website. It read:

"When Johnny Depp was cast as Grindelwald, I thought he’d be wonderful in the role. However, around the time of filming his cameo in the first movie, stories had appeared in the press that deeply concerned me and everyone most closely involved in the franchise. Harry Potter fans had legitimate questions and concerns about our choice to continue with Johnny Depp in the role. As David Yates, long-time Potter director, has already said, we naturally considered the possibility of recasting. I understand why some have been confused and angry about why that didn’t happen. The huge, mutually supportive community that has grown up around Harry Potter is one of the greatest joys of my life. For me personally, the inability to speak openly to fans about this issue has been difficult, frustrating and at times painful. However, the agreements that have been put in place to protect the privacy of two people, both of whom have expressed a desire to get on with their lives, must be respected. Based on our understanding of the circumstances, the filmmakers and I are not only comfortable sticking with our original casting, but genuinely happy to have Johnny playing a major character in the movies. I’ve loved writing the first two screenplays and I can’t wait for fans to see ‘The Crimes of Grindelwald’. I accept that there will be those who are not satisfied with our choice of actor in the title role. However, conscience isn’t governable by committee. Within the fictional world and outside it, we all have to do what we believe to be the right thing."