Fantastic Beasts 3: Mads Mikkelsen says he ‘wishes’ he had Johnny Depp’s number to discuss role

Star replaces Depp as Gellert Grindelwald in Harry Potter spin-off

Fantastic Beasts 3 star Mads Mikkelsen has said he wishes he had Johnny Depp’s number, after replacing the actor in the franchise.

Depp resigned at the request of Warner Bros last month after losing a libel case against The Sun over a 2018 article that called him a “wife beater”.

Depp was denied permission to appeal against the High Court’s ruling, which concluded that he assaulted his ex-wife Amber Heard. However, he was allowed to apply directly to the Court of Appeal, which he has done. The Court of Appeal is yet to issue a decision on the application. 

The actor has always denied being violent towards Heard.

Mikkelsen, who has replaced Depp as Gellert Grindelwald, was recently asked whether he had been in contact with the actor.  

“No, I don’t know him,” he told AP Entertainment. “I’ve met him once. I wish I had his phone number, but unfortunately that’s not the case.”

He added: “There’s nothing else I can do, to be honest. The only approach I can have is connect the bridge between what he did and what I’m gonna do and then we’ll see what lands.”  

Discussing his casting in a previous interview, Mikkelsen had said: “Job wise, it’s obviously super interesting and nice. It’s also a shocker that it came after what happened, which is just super sad. I wish both of them the best. These are sad circumstances.”

Depp had completed one scene for Fantastic Beasts 3 and will be paid his full fee for the movie.

Mikkelsen’s new film, Another Round, will be released in the UK on 5 February.

This article was updated on January 7, 2021, to add that Depp was given permission to apply directly to the Court of Appeal regarding the libel trial, which he has done.