‘Now that he’s won the case, he might come back’: Mads Mikkelsen praises ‘great’ Johnny Depp after replacing shamed actor in Fantastic Beasts during his legal battle with Amber Heard
Mads, 56, replaced Johnny, 59, to play Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
The actor was removed from the role in 2020 when the High Court in London found a story that he assaulted ex-wife Amber ‘substantially true’.
Earlier this year, a jury ruled in favor of Johnny in a blockbuster libel case against Amber
He had alleged that she defamed him with a 2018 Washington Post op-ed in which she claimed to be a survivor of domestic violence
<!–
<!–
<!– <!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
Mads Mikkelsen praised Johnny Depp as a “great actor” and said the star may return to the Fantastic Beasts film franchise after his legal win over ex-wife Amber Heard.
The 56-year-old Danish actor, who is known for his roles in James Bond film Casino Royale and NBC series Hannibal, replaced Johnny, 59, to play Gellert Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.
Johnny was removed from the Warner Bros movie in 2020, a week after it went into production, when he was not allowed to appeal his libel loss to the Supreme Court, which a story he had with ex-wife Amber Heard. attacked ‘substantially true’.
Speaking: Mads Mikkelsen (left) praised ‘great’ Johnny Depp after replacing the shamed actor in Fantastic Beasts during his legal battle with Amber Heard (both pictured in character)
Speaking at the Sarajevo Film Festival, Deadline reports that Mads described taking on the role as “very intimidating” and spoke of the reason for Johnny’s departure from the film — his libel suit against his ex-wife.
He said: ‘Sure, well, now the course has changed – he won the lawsuit, the court’ [case] – so let’s see if he comes back. He can.
‘I’m a big fan of Johnny. I think he’s a great actor, I think he’s done a great job.”
Intimidated: During a speech at the Sarajevo film festival, Mads described taking on the role as “very intimidating” and talked about the reason for Johnny’s departure from the film
Mads continued, “That said, I couldn’t copy it. There was no way I could just copy it, because it’s so much his. It would be creative suicide.
“So we had to think of something else, something that belonged to me, and build a bridge between him and me. So yes, it was intimidating.
“His fans were very, very sweet, but they were also very stubborn. I didn’t have much contact with them, but I could understand why their hearts were broken.’
Legal Troubles: In 2020, Johnny lost a libel suit against The Sun newspaper at the High Court in London, where a judge ruled it was ‘substantially true’ that he was a ‘wife beater’
In 2020, Johnny lost a libel suit against The Sun newspaper at the High Court in London, where a judge ruled it was “substantially true” that he was a “wife beater”.
Two years later, Johnny sued Amber for $50 million, claiming she defamed him with a 2018 Washington Post op-ed claiming to be a survivor of domestic violence.
Amber, 35, counterclaimed for $100 million, alleging that Johnny’s attorney Adam Waldman made defamatory statements by calling her claims a “hoax.”
The actor’s representatives said he had lost job opportunities and high-profile roles, such as being kicked out of the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise following the allegations.
Jurors found in his favor after the six-week trial.
Johnny will now direct his first feature film in 25 years with Modi, about the Italian painter and sculptor Amedeo Modigliani.
He will co-produce the film with Hollywood great Al Pacino.
Lost: In 2022, Johnny sued Amber for $50 million, claiming she defamed him with a 2018 Washington Post op-ed claiming to be a survivor of domestic violence