Fantastic Beasts 3: Mads Mikkelsen Actually Created Grindelwald’s Emotional Origin Story
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is about to make its way into the theaters and the film shall see Mads Mikkelsen playing the role of evil wizard Gellert Grindelwald. Talking to THR, the Danish actor revealed that he has his own ideas on why the evil Grindelwald began his crusade against the non-wizards.
Mads Mikkelsen Opens Up About The Secrets of Dumbledore
“I’d like him not just to be instantly demagogic,” Mikkelsen told The Hollywood Reporter. This led to Mikkelsen creating his own story to help explain Grindelwald’s actions. “My reason is that something happened to his entire family when he was a child that explains the hate he carries around,” he said. “It’s a fantastic, detailed, complex universe [Rowling‘s] created, and I’d love to hear her thoughts on it. I hope I will do more than this one [film].”
While Grindelwald’s character made an appearance in the previous Fantastic Beasts movies, this will mark the very first time Mads Mikkelsen will be seen stepping into the Wizarding World. In the first film, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the character spent most of the time in the movie, played by actor Colin Farrell who is disguised as Percival Graves. Graves is the head of MACUSA’s Department of Magical Law Enforcement in the film.
Johnny Depp was the original choice to play the role
Only in the final moments of the movie, Graves’ true identity as the evil Grindelwald was revealed, bringing actor Johnny Depp into the role. Johnny Depp reprised the role in the sequel, The Crimes of Grindelwald, however, the actor was replaced by Mads Mikkelsen for the third film, The Secrets of Dumbledore.
Unlike the huge change in the film, from Colin Farrell to Johnny Depp, fans didn’t get any onscreen explanation for the change in Grindelwald’s appearance in the third film. The decision to ultimately replace Johnny Depp was made by Warner Bros. after personal issues for Depp that eventually led to the loss of a high-profile case. Later, it was revealed by Mikkelsen that the lack of an explanation was a deliberate choice by the filmmakers. “Everybody knows why,” Mikkelsen explained. “It would almost be like an Easter egg to reality to point out we swapped actors. Hopefully, we drag them in with the first scene and from there they accept this world.”
The Secrets of Dumbledore is out in theaters now!
Whether Mikkelsen manages to get his wish for yet another Fantastic Beasts film may depend largely on the success of the upcoming, The Secrets of Dumbledore. The film series was originally meant for five films, which would have spawned into the legendary battle between Jude Law’s Albus Dumbledore and Grindelwald, however, some recent reports suggest that any future films aren’t as certain to happen as they once were. As per the reports, the execs at Warner Bros. are now “waiting to see how The Secrets of Dumbledore is received by fans before giving the fourth and fifth a greenlight.”
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is creating magic in theaters now.
Source: THR
