Here’s some surprising and breaking news. Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp has joined the Harry Potter spinoff series in a big way.
Update: Hypable has a source involved with the film who says Johnny Depp is playing Grindelwald. You don’t see his face in the first movie — just the back of his head. In fact, the below still depicts Depp in a recently released Fantastic Beasts preview. This shot appears at the very start of the movie:
Related: Will Dumbledore help Newt Scamander fight ‘Fantastic Beasts’s’ Grindelwald-inspired enemy?
Original story: Eddie Redmayne is starring as Newt Scamander in the upcoming Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movie based off a screenplay written by J.K. Rowling. It’ll be hitting theaters in just a couple weeks, so it’s surprising to get such big news about the franchise right now.
Nonetheless, news it is, according to Deadline. Not only is it believed that Depp will make a cameo in the first movie when it lands in U.S. cinemas on November 18, but the report also states that the actor will be in a co-starring role for Fantastic Beasts 2.
That co-starring role is currently unnamed in any official capacity.
Deadline says, “I believe that if you look carefully, you might spot him in a tiny turn in the first installment of the J.K. Rowling-created Harry Potter spinoff,” which leads me to believe he’ll be in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-him scene or he’ll be under a lot of make-up and prosthetics.
When you see the movie in a few weeks, make sure you’re paying close attention!
Until then, you can keep watching the four new clips that were released showing spoiler-free scenes from the movie. Nifflers, interrogations, and pie abound in the sneak peeks, and it’s fun to see all the magic coming to life on screen.