Johnny Depp Returning To Billion-Dollar Franchise According To Actor Who Replaced Him?
Could he be right?
After the trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard, actor Johnny Depp finds himself on the road to redemption. The Fantastic Beasts star has been rumored to come back to projects for Warner Bros. and Disney, though there has been no confirmation from either studio. In a recent interview with Deadline from the Sarajevo Film Festival, actor Mads Mikkelsen–who took over Depp’s role as the villainous Gellert Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts films–suggested that Depp may be coming back to the franchise. According to Mikkelsen, Depp’s trial victory against Amber Heard may allow him to reclaim the role he began in the first Fantastic Beast film.
Johnny Depp was asked to step down from starring in The Secrets of Dumbledore after losing the libel case against the publishers of the UK newspaper The Sun, which labeled Depp as a “wife beater.” Mikkelsen took over the role in the Fantastic Beasts sequel, which he didn’t want to copy. “There was no way I could just copy it, because it’s so much him,” Mikkelsen said regarding taking over the role of Grindelwald. “It would be creative suicide. So, we had to come up with something else, something that was mine, and build a bridge between him and me.” Mikkelsen admitted that doing the role was “intimidating” because of how loyal Depp’s fans were to him. When asked about whether he believes Depp could make a return soon, Mikkelsen hinted that there may be a chance now that Depp won the defamation case against Heard. “He won the suit, the court [case]—so let’s see if he comes back.”
The Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial lasted six weeks and was covered by all the major trades. Depp and Heard took the stand, and the jury awarded Depp $15 million in damages and $2 million from Heard. The $15 million Depp was awarded dropped to $10.35 million to comply with the state limits for punitive damages. Meanwhile, reports have suggested that Heard is having difficulty paying Depp the money she now owes him, with reports surfacing that she has declared bankruptcy. The Aquaman actress has had trouble getting back into the good graces of those in Hollywood, with rumors suggesting her screen time in the sequel to Aquaman has been drastically cut.
As for Johnny Depp, it seems he’s on his way to making a comeback. Not only is he now rumored to return in the Fantastic Beasts franchise for Warner Bros., but he’s also starring in Netflix’s La Favorite, in which he plays King Louis XV. It’s been reported that the Netflix film will only stream in France. The actor also has reportedly signed on to be the face of Dior’s Sauvage fragrance for men. In addition, he’ll be directing a biopic about the Italian artist Amendo Modigliani.
Johnny Depp has a rich history with Warner Bros. The actor has featured in many of the studio’s projects over the years, so it’ll be interesting to see whether the studio decides to bring him back into the fold. There have been reports of Warner Bros. looking to purchase the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, which Depp on the map. In fact, during the trial, Depp claimed his relationship with Warner Bros. was once solid enough that he secured Heard her role in Aquaman by calling the studio. Whether or not any of this means the actor will be reunited with the folks at the studio remains to be seen.
