Mads Mikkelsen Says It Was 'Chaotic' Taking Over From Johnny Depp In Fantastic Beasts

Mads Mikkelsen said it was ‘chaotic’ being offered the role of Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore after Johnny Depp was dropped from the role. 

Mikkelsen took on the role of the evil wizard for the third flick, after Depp had played the part in the first two. 

Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter about landing the part, he said he was given just two days to decide if he wanted to take it and so quickly watched the first two Fantastic Beasts films to get an idea of what he was letting himself in for. 

He told the publication: “It was quite chaotic.”

But also reckoned the job was too good to turn down after reading the script and finding it to be a ‘great story’. 

Opening up about taking on the role, he added: “You don’t want to copy anything [Depp was] doing — that would be creative suicide. Even if [a role has] been done to perfection, you want to make it your own. But you still have to build some sort of bridge between what came before.”

Mikkelsen also cleared what he meant in an earlier interview when he said he had hoped he could meet Depp before stepping into the role. 

He told the Hollywood Reporter: “I wasn’t like, ‘Oh please let me talk to him’.

“It would have been great to touch bases, ‘clean the room’ in a sense. Maybe I’ll see him in the future.”

Depp was dropped by Warner Bros when he lost his libel case against The Sun newspaper and executive editor Dan Wootton.

The case centred on whether an article published in The Sun, in which Depp was called a 'wife beater', was libellous.

Following the case, the actor took to Instagram to confirm that he intended to appeal the decision, adding that his 'career will not be defined' by it.

Thanking his supporters, he said: "Firstly, I'd like to thank everyone who gifted me their support and loyalty.

"Secondly, I wish to let you know that I have been asked to resign by Warner Bros. from my role as Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts and I have respected and agreed to that request.

"Finally, I wish to say this.

"The surreal judgement of the court in the UK will not change my fight to tell the truth and I confirm that I plan to appeal.

"My resolve remains strong and I intend to prove that the allegations against me are false.

"My life and career will not be defined by this moment in time."