Actor Johnny Depp, who rarely has spoken about his role as Gellert Grindelwald in the
Fantastic Beasts series, chatted quite a bit from the
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald set and Warner Bros. about his collaboration with author J.K. Rowling, director David Yates, and producer David Heyman on bringing the Wizarding world villain to life.
Depp also voiced his joy at joining the Wizarding world, having been a longtime
Harry Potter fan (including his glee over owning the Elder wand), and the personal touches he added to Grindelwald's look and demeanor.
Quote:
Johnny Depp: "There is a rhythm to the way Grindelwald speaks, a cadence, that draws you in. Ultimately, what I felt about the character in terms of his presence is that it would be an exercise in stillness. I mean, his words are important, but what’s even more important with Grindelwald is the subtext of those words. It is the dialogue that’s silent—the meaning between the lines. It’s almost hypnotic."
On creating the Grindelwald character with Rowling, Heyman, and Yates:
Quote:
Depp: “I could not be more honored to have been invited into this world by David Yates, David Heyman and J.K. Rowling. I felt thoroughly humbled to be thought of for anything in one of J.K.’s brilliant stories because I admire her so much. When the idea first came around, she and I talked for hours, and what amazed me was Jo never once dictated to me how Grindelwald should be. She gave me information to build the structure, and so you work within the boundaries of that structure, but she was also very open to my ideas. One of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard in my career was when Jo said, ‘I can’t wait to see what you do with the character.’ Obviously, all these characters are very precious to her, so for her to trust me to that degree was very exciting and such a boost of confidence.”
“One of the things David, Jo and I talked about was that it would have been simple to play Grindelwald as just a bad guy, but he is doing what he truly believes is right, at whatever cost. His whole pitch is about harmony, but within his parameters—meaning the only way to achieve that harmony is through wizarding world domination and by understanding that there are people who are expendable. If they are in the way, then they must be dispatched. And he’s pretty calm about it.”
“As an actor, your job is to be true to both the writer’s intent and to the vision of the director, so I try to give the filmmakers options. And David’s mind is so connected to J.K.’s works. He understands her artistry, almost like understanding the brushstrokes of a great painter.”
On collaborating once again with costume designer Colleen Atwood (the two have worked together on numerous films during their careers):
Quote:
Depp: “I think I’ve worked with Colleen Atwood more than any other person in cinema. She is a genius. She will talk to you at length about your character and ask questions. Then she goes from there and starts to construct what is essentially your suit of armor. Wardrobe should be about finding the character—you put those clothes on and, suddenly, you begin to stand a different way, move a different way… Colleen is the queen of that.”
Quote:
Depp: “He has one white eye, which was not anything J.K. had suggested; it was a choice I made, and I am so thankful that she and David accepted what it symbolized for me. It represents his other half—his ability to turn on a dime from the gentle to the brutal in a nanosecond.”
On Grindelwald's ownership of the Elder wand and the power that comes from it.
Quote:
Depp: “I was blown away. In my mind, it didn’t register at first that it was the Elder Wand. But then I realized that Grindelwald has the most powerful instrument of magic, be it bad or be it good.”
Pre-order tickets here for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald through Fandango.
Read SnitchSeeker's
set visit breakdown of
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, including
the return to Hogwarts and London, and entering
Paris's Wizarding world.
Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” is the second of five all new adventures in J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World™.
At the end of the first film, the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) was captured by MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America), with the help of Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne). But, making good on his threat, Grindelwald escaped custody and has set about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings.
In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans, Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) enlists his former student Newt Scamander, who agrees to help, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.
The film features an ensemble cast led by Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Zoë Kravitz, Callum Turner, Claudia Kim, William Nadylam, Kevin Guthrie, Carmen Ejogo, Poppy Corby-Tuech, with Jude Law and Johnny Depp.
“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” is directed by David Yates, from a screenplay by J.K. Rowling. The film is produced by David Heyman, J.K. Rowling, Steve Kloves and Lionel Wigram. Tim Lewis, Neil Blair, Rick Senat and Danny Cohen serve as executive producers.
The film reunites the behind-the-scenes creative team from the first “Fantastic Beasts” film, including Oscar-winning director of photography Philippe Rousselot (“A River Runs Through It”), three-time Oscar-winning production designer Stuart Craig (“The English Patient,” “Dangerous Liaisons,” “Gandhi,” the “Harry Potter” films), four-time Oscar-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood (“Chicago,” “Memoirs of a Geisha,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”), and Yates’ longtime editor Mark Day (the last four “Harry Potter” films). The music is by eight-time Oscar nominee James Newton Howard (“Defiance,” “Michael Clayton,” “The Hunger Games” films).
Slated for release on November 16, 2018, the film will be distributed worldwide in 2D and 3D in select theatres and IMAX by Warner Bros. Pictures.
This film is rated PG-13 for some sequences of fantasy action.
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Johnny Depp on his collaboration with J.K. Rowling, David Yates in 'Fantastic Beasts' 
