Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them

Johnny Depp’s 'Fantastic Beasts' Role Revealed

...and he's dark AF

Wednesday, November 9, 2016 - 15:18

Just last week it was revealed that Johnny Depp would be joining the Fantastic Beasts universe with a cameo in the new film, and a recurring role in its sequels. And now, it has been confirmed that the character he will be playing is none other than…. Grindelwald!

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For those not up on their Potter lore, Grindelwald is a legendary dark wizard whose magical misdeeds set him at odds with a young Dumbledore. He might not be Voldemort, but trust us, he’s dark AF.

Depp had previously been linked to the role of Dumbledore, but according to director David Yates, he was their dream pick for the character who promises to be the long-term villain of the saga…

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“The whole principal of casting the movie was go with the best actor,” said Yates. “Go for the most inspired, interesting, right fit for that character. And as we approached Grindelwald we thought, 'Who's going to take this in an interesting direction? Johnny Depp is a real artist.”

The search continues for the actor set to play the young Dumbledore, but in the meantime, we’ve got the first film to sink our teeth into! Co-starring Eddie Redmayne, Gemma Chan and Ezra Miller, Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them will open in the UK on 18 November 2016.

100 Things You Need To Know About Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them

In HP land, 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' was a required textbook at Hogwarts.

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The book details the history of Magizoology and showcases 85 magical species.

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It was written by Newt Scamander after years of travel.

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It was first commissioned in 1918 by Mr Augustus Worme of Obscurus Books.

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By the mid-1990s, AKA the HP years, the book was in its 52nd edition.

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Dumbledore wrote a foreward and says it's an excellent reference for Wizarding households.

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HP author J.K Rowling wrote the actual book in 2001, under the pseudonym of Newt Scamander.

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80% of the price of the book goes to vulnerable children.

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J.K decide to write about magical creatures as it was A) fun B) something she knew lots about #worksmart

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The first idea was a faux documentary about Newt, thankfully J.K wrote a screenplay instead.

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In the film, American wizards say "No-maj" (short for no magic) instead of muggles.

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Ilvermorny is the US equivalent of Hogwarts (though it's not thought to be featured in the film).

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Unlike at Hogwarts, Ilvermory students cannot carry wands outside of school.

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There’s also a Magical Congress of the United States of America (MCUSA) instead of a Ministry of Magic.

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MCUSA is hidden inside the Woolworth Building.

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In the film version, the building's hollowed out all the way to the top floor.

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J.K has said the film isn't a prequel or a sequel to HP, just an extension of the wizarding world.

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The film may feel more modern than HP…

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...Production designer Stuart Craig said that's because it's set in NYC (and not an old Scottish castle).

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The film will be made by Warner Brothers…

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...Rowling said that this film is just the beginning of a new collab between her and the studio.

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J.K has written plenty of books, but this is her screenwriting debut.

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Ex-HP director Alfonso Cuarón showed interest in directing the film…

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...But David Yates, director of the last four Harry Potter films, got the job.

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James Newton Howard will compose the music for it…

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...He's composed scores for The Dark Knight and The Hunger Games series!

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Filming started on August 17th 2015 and wrapped up on January 28th 2016.

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Filming took place at Warner Bros. studios in Leavesden.

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The New York docks scenes were filmed in Cardington Hangars in Bedfordshire, UK.

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Some scenes were filmed in Liverpool - they used fake snow and classic cars to transform the city into 1920s New York.

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The video game Lego Dimensions is scheduled to release a 'story pack' based on the film.

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Fortunately for wizarding fans everywhere, this is the start of a trilogy.

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David Yates said Rowling had written the screenplay for the second film and has ideas for the third.

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The next instalment is set to come out November 16, 2018, followed by the third on November 20, 2020.

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Where HP has a trio of heroes, Fantastic Beasts has four.

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At the heart of the film is Newt - an slightly eccentric English magizoologist wizard.

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Matt Smith (Dr. Who) was considered for the role of Newt.

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As was Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max, X-Men).

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Ultimately Eddie Redmayne (Les Mis, The Danish Girl) scored the role.

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Porpentina "Tina" Goldstein is an ambitious worker at the Magical Congress of the United States of America.

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She's relegated to an office well below her abilities and longs to fight for what's right.

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Model and actress Kate Upton (The Other Woman) was considered for the role of Tina.

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Aussie actress Elizabeth Debicki (Everest) was also considered.

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In the end Katherine Waterston (Steve Jobs) was cast as Tina.

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Queenie Goldstein is Tina's younger sister.

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She's a free-spirit "legilimens" and she can read minds.

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The role of Queenie is is played by Alison Sudol, but plenty of other actresses were considered too.

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Two-time Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan (Atonement, Brooklyn) was considered.

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As was everyone's favourite child-turned-adult actress Dakota Fanning (I Am Sam, Now Is Good).

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Twilight star Kristen Stewart was also considered for the role.

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As was model and actress Lili Simmons (Banshee).

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Jacob Kowalski is a No-Maj factory worker who learns of the wizarding world when he meets Newt.

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Jacob is the first Muggle main character in any HP franchise.

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Michael Cera was considered for the role of Jacob, but passed on this film role to voice the animated The Lego Batman Movie

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Josh Gad (Frozen) was also considered for the role

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The role eventually when to stand-up comedian and actor Dan Fogler (Kung Fu Panda).

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Colin Farrell (In Bruges) plays Graves: he's the right-hand man of the American wizarding world's president.

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Samantha Morton (Decoding Annie Parker) plays Mary Lou, she's the leader of a group looking to expose and destroy the wizarding community.

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Samantha Morton and Colin Farrell both appeared in Minority Report (2002).

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The duo also appeared together in Miss Julie (2014) as John and Kathleen.

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Ezra Miller plays Credence, Mary Lou's troubled adopted son.

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Ezra Miller was the brother of Emma Watson in 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower.' Emma Watson, of course, played Hermione.

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Ezra Miller is a self-confessed HP fanboy.

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He won't take the sorting hat quiz because: "If I didn’t get Gryffindor, I wouldn’t know who I was anymore."

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British actress and singer Carmen Ejogo (The Purge: Anarchy) plays President Seraphina Picquery, President of the MCUSA.

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Modesty is a haunted young girl who can see deep into people.

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Faith Wood-Blagrove was cast as Modesty.

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The 10-year-old was chosen from thousands of girls who attended an open audition.

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This will be Faith's film debut.

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Jon Voight (24: Redemption) plays Henry Shaw Sr., a US senator.

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Ron Perlman (Sons of Anarchy) plays Gnarlack, a gangster who owns a speakeasy nightclub.

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The film is rooted in real American history.

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The Salem witch trials are used to show how nervous our wizards were at the time.

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The fear of being found out looms over the wizarding community - with good reason too.

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Fantastic Beasts will be more grown-up than previous movies.

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As director David Yates said: “there are no kids in this movie.” ...Not as main characters, anyway.

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The film is set in 1926 New York.

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It begins with Newt Scamander who has completed a global excursion to find and document an array of fantastic beasts.

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He is only in New York for what should've been a brief stopover.

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But thanks to Jacob, a misplaced magical case and the escape of some of his fantastic beasts this is not the case.

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Miss Dobby? Get excited, because there will be house elves (-ish creatures)!

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The name Newt Scamander appears on the Marauder's Map in the movie Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

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Newt also has his own Chocolate Frog Card in the HP franchise.

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Newt's story starts seventy years before Harry gets underway, on the other side of the globe.

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Scamander became a magizoologist at the encouragement of his mum, a Hippogriff breeder.

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At Hogwarts, Newt was sorted to Hufflepuff house.

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His contributions to Magizoology earned him an Order of Merlin, Second Class in 1979.

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The real-world book says Newt Scamander retired to Dorset, UK, in 1979.

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Scamander himself does not appear in any of the seven Harry Potter books.

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Newt was expelled from Hogwarts for ‘endangering human life with a beast’. Oops.

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Newt's grandson Rolf married Luna Lovegood.

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Of getting to pick Newt's wand Eddie said: "The most exciting moment of this job is the moment of getting a wand"

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It's a simple, modest wand with some sort of carving.

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There is a Funkto toy of Newt available for hardcore fans!

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Eddie has a leather case just like Newt's IRL.

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HP's very own Daniel Radcliffe admitted he's very excited to see the film.

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However he is envious of Eddie's wardrobe: "I got jeans and a zip top for 10 years and you’ve got a great coat already?"

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Emma Watson has said she'd deffo be up for a cameo.

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And during an interview J.K said she'd consider putting the trio in - even if only in the background in heavy make-up!

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The movie's out on 18 November 2016 - put in your calendar!

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