Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Every Harry Potter Movie Ranked From Worst to Best
This feature originally ran in November 2018. Welcome to Dissected, where we disassemble a band’s catalog, a director’s filmography, or some other critical pop-culture collection in the abstract. It’s exact science by way of a few beers. This time, we sort through the best and worst of the still-expanding Wizarding World cinematic universe. A viewer of a certain age will remember what the run-up to the release of 2000’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone felt like. Just a couple of years earlier, the Boy Who Lived arrived on American shores with a slightly altered first installment title and the many wonders of J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world in tow. Potter phenomenon was already well underway, but the idea of being able to bring Hogwarts and its inhabitants to life set the exc...
Mads Mikkelsen’s Grindelwald Revealed in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore First Trailer: Watch
Another dose of magic is on the horizon: Warner Bros. has unveiled the trailer for The Secrets of Dumbledore, the next installment in the Fantastic Beasts franchise. A prequel to the beloved Harry Potter series, the film will hit theaters on April 15th, 2022. As its title implies, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore follows the tribulations of future Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore (long before The Boy Who Lived received his acceptance letter). The clip shows Dumbledore (Jude Law) assembling a team of wizards, witches, and one Muggle in an effort to stop dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) from seizing control of the wizarding world. With Magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) leading the efforts, they encounter a slew of magical beasts as Gr...
Mads Mikkelsen In Talks to Replace Johnny Depp in Fantastic Beasts: Report
Hollywood moves fast, even during a pandemic. No less than a week after Warner Bros. announced the departure of Johnny Depp from the Fantastic Beasts franchise, reports are already coming in on a potential replacement. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hannibal star Mads Mikkelsen is in talks to replace Depp as Gellert Grindelwald. The behind-the-scenes brevity makes sense, seeing how the film is already in production following postponements to Covid-19. If all goes accordingly, Mikkelsen will be the third star to portray the villain. Prior to Depp, Colin Farrell had worn Grindelwald’s seemingly ever-changing mug, all before exiting stage left by the end of 2016’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The untitled third adventure in the Harry Potter prequel series hits theaters on Ju...
Johnny Depp Fired From Fantastic Beasts Franchise in Light of Abuse Allegations
Amid his ongoing legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard over alleged misconduct, Johnny Depp has been forced out of the Fantastic Beasts franchise. In a note posted to Instagram on Friday, Depp said he was “asked to resign by Warner Bros.” and “I have respected and agreed to that request.” Depp played the role of Gellert Grindelwald in the first two installments of the Harry Potter spin-off series, and had been set to return for the franchise’s upcoming third film. Upon filing for divorce from Depp in 2016, Heard accused her ex-husband of abusive behavior. Depp vehemently denied the allegations, contending instead that it was Heard who was abusive against him. The former couple eventually reached a settlement out of court, but in early 2019 Depp sued Heard for defamation after she published...
