Bond villain Mads Mikkelsen to replace Johnny Depp in Fantastic Beasts franchise

Mads Mikkelsen will take on the role of Gellert Grindelwald in 'Fantastic Beasts, ' replacing Johnny Depp. The first two Fantastic Beasts movies were directed by David Yates, from a screenplay by J.K. Rowling, and produced by David Heyman, J.K. Rowling, Steve Kloves, and Lionel Wigram. The movie has already been pushed back from late 2021 to a July 15, 2022 release date, to accommodate recasting the wizard.

The third instalment of the series is due to be released in summer 2022.

Hollywood star Johnny Depp was yesterday refused permission to appeal against a United Kingdom court decision which upheld claims made by The Sun newspaper that branded him a "wife beater". Since the third Fantastic Beasts movie is now in production in the United Kingdom with Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law and the rest of the all-star cast, Warner Bros had to move fast to find another wizard Gellert Grindelwald to take Depp's place.

The news comes less than a week after Mikkelsen responded to reports of his casting saying, "that is on the rumour basis".

Warner Bros Studios, the banner behind the Fantastic Beasts film franchise, has confirmed that Danish star Mads Mikkelsen has been cast as the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald in the third installment of its fantasy movie series.

"So I know as much as you do from the newspapers", he added.

Johnny Depp loses U.K. libel suit News24 days agoVideo1:52

The announcement came not long after Depp was denied permission to appeal against the High Court's ruling, which concluded that he assaulted his ex-wife Amber Heard.

Earlier in the month, Depp lost a libel suit against the publisher of Britain's The Sun newspaper over the publication's claims that he was an abusive husband.

Following the outcome of the court case, Depp confirmed that he would appeal the "surreal judgement".

Mikkelsen also played roles in action movies "Doctor Strange" and "Casino Royale" as well as taking roles in Danish dramas such as "The Hunnt" and 'A Royal Affair'.

In the Harry Potter universe, Grindelwald is an immensely powerful, evil wizard, who is regarded as second only to Voldemort.

Police Officers Accused Of Beating Music Producer In France Detained
The latest incidents reignited a controversy over the Global Security Bill, passed by the French National Assembly on Tuesday. Macron said he believed the police should treat the public in an "exemplary" fashion, and vice versa.