Johnny Depp will join the cast of Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, directed by David Yates. According to a Deadline report, Depp has a small role in the first film, which is set to release on November 18. His character will gradually get bigger as the series progresses.
The JK Rowling scripted film has been planned as a five film project. The filmalready boasts a brilliant cast, with the likes of Eddie Redmayne (Newt Scamander), Colin Farrell, and Katherine Waterston, among others. While Waterston plays the role of a young, do-gooder (witch) who “longs to fight for what’s right”, Farrell plays an experienced Auror tasked with tracking down Scamander.
Rowling also revealed that other details might come up in future films. She says upcoming installments will talk about fan favorite Albus Dumbledore and his friend-turned-foe Gellert Grindelwald. The news is particularly significant for LGBT viewers, as Rowling has previously said that Dumbledore, the future headmaster of Hogwarts, was gay – and in love with Grindelwald.
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Fantastic Beasts is set in New York, and tells the story of a fictional author, Newt Scamander. His name appears sparsely in the Harry Potter book series. Eddie Redmayne, who won an Oscar for his role as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything, plays Scamander. The film is set 70 years before Harry Potter’s arrival at Hogwarts.
David Yates, who directed the last four Harry Potter movies, has directed this film as well.
Depp is also on the cast of Kenneth Branagh’s Murder On The Orient Express, and the Tupac murder drama Labyrinth. The actor made headlines for much of last year after an acrimonious split from actress Amber Heard.