Johnny Depp Cast in JK Rowling's 'Fantastic Beasts' Sequel

Johnny Depp has been cast in the sequel to “Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them,” TheWrap has learned.

The “Pirates of the Caribbean” actor will co-star in the second “Harry Potter” spinoff movie with existing leading man Eddie Redmayne, who plays Newt Scamander. Depp’s role is not yet known.

Depp is also set to appear in a cameo in the first installment, which hits theaters in less than three weeks on Nov. 18.

Also Read: 'Fantastic Beasts' Points Wand at $75 Million Debut, Lower Than All 'Harry Potter' Movies

David Yates is set to return as director.

Early tracking on “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” the film, based on the works of J.K. Rowling, is set at $75 million. That’s lower than the opening weekends of all other “Harry Potter” films, but not by much at all, seeing as “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” opened to $77.1 million in 2007.

Also Read: 7 Things We Know About JK Rowling's 'Fantastic Beasts' (Photos)

“Fantastic Beasts” has been expanded from a three-movie franchise to five, author and screenwriter Rowling announced last month.

Set in the same universe as “Harry Potter,” the inaugural “Fantastic Beasts” movie takes place in 1920s New York and stars Redmayne as a British magizoologist who travels to England to hunt for magical creatures.

Some characters from the “Harry Potter” films will be featured in the new movie, including Albus Dumbledore, Grendel and Gellert Grindelwald — though it’s not yet known whether actors from the past series will be reprising their roles.

Also Read: New 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' Trailer Offers First Look at Magical Creatures (Video)

Other story beats we’ve learned from the upcoming film include: Newt arrives in New York as Percival Graves (Colin Farrell) investigates a collapsed building destroyed by a magical creature. The film opens with several newspaper headlines about Grindelwald attacking wizards.

Farrell and Redmayne are joined onscreen by Katherine Waterston, Jon Voight, Ezra Miller, Zoe Kravitz, Samantha Morton, Dan Fogler and Alison Sudol.

Yates directed the last four “Harry Potter” films. The second film in the “Fantastic Beasts” series will be set in another major world city with different magical creatures.

Also Read: Johnny Depp Signs With CAA, Leaving UTA

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” is based on a book of the same name by Rowling, which was a mock textbook about magical creatures. In the “Harry Potter” series, the book is required reading for Hogwarts students.

Depp is now repped by CAA, but was at UTA when his “Fantastic” deal was made.

Depp has roles in other upcoming films: Fox’s “Murder on the Orient Express,” Disney sequel “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,” “Labryinth” (about the late rappers Tupak Shakur and Biggie Smalls) and Universal’s “The Invisible Man.”

Johnny Depp's Many Movie Faces: From Jack Sparrow to the Mad Hatter (Photos)

There are few actors in Hollywood today who have spent as many hours in the makeup and hair trailer as Johnny Depp. He's taken on so many roles that require heavy work on his face that he has taken to sleeping in full makeup instead of having it redone every morning. Here's some of the most outlandish looks Depp has sported onscreen.
Depp's first makeup-intensive role came in 1990 with "Edward Scissorhands," which earned him a Golden Globe nomination. Stan Winston, the VFX artist who designed the hands Depp wore in the film, got an Oscar nomination for his work.
20th Century Fox
A decade later, Depp played two roles in the LGBT drama "Before Night Falls." One was as the military officer Lt. Victor. The other was the flamboyant transvestite Bon Bon, who struts and poses his way through Fidel Castro's prison filled with political dissidents.
Fine Line Features
Depp's famous performance as Raoul Duke in "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" didn't require much makeup, but Depp did have Hunter S. Thompson shave his head to match the writer's male pattern baldness.

Universal
Undoubtedly, Depp's most famous role is Captain Jack Sparrow in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films, which earned him his first Oscar nomination. The film also received a nomination for the makeup work that gave Sparrow his tanned, sea-weathered look.
Disney
Depp's makeup took a turn for the gross in 2004 with "The Libertine." In it, he plays the cocky, womanizing Earl of Rochester, who finds his pride and life cut down quickly when he contracts syphilis, for which Depp wore increasing levels of makeup to show the disease's effects.
The Weinstein Company
For his polarizing performance as Willy Wonka in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," Depp took on a pale, almost plastic appearance to emphasize the candy maker's reclusive, eccentric nature after spending years cut off from the world in his factory.
Warner Bros.
Depp got his third Oscar nomination from his performance as Sweeney Todd, where he took on a deathly pale complexion and swept-back hairstyle as he slit throats as the Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
Warner Bros.
Depp was the center of controversy when he played the Native American Tonto in "The Lone Ranger," but the film did get an Oscar nomination for the makeup work that gave Tonto his intricate face paint and headdress.
Disney
He was better received in the film "Into The Woods," where he played the Big Bad Wolf with a costume inspired by Tex Avery's famous cartoons.
Disney
To play the infamous Boston gangster Whitey Bulger in "Black Mass," Depp went through over two hours of makeup to get his gaunt face and slicked-back hair.
Warner Bros.
Arguably Depp's creepiest makeup job came when he mocked Donald Trump in a parody video for Funny or Die ... though it wasn't as creepy as the video that showed him removing all that makeup from his face.
Funny or Die
Now Depp is returning to his role as the Mad Hatter in "Alice Through the Looking Glass," which he first played back in 2010. Depp turned up the ridiculousness with this role, sporting clown makeup, colored contacts, crazy wigs, eyebrow extensions, elaborate outfits, and of course, the 10/6 top hat.
Disney

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The character actor has built a career through roles that require many hours in the makeup trailer

There are few actors in Hollywood today who have spent as many hours in the makeup and hair trailer as Johnny Depp. He's taken on so many roles that require heavy work on his face that he has taken to sleeping in full makeup instead of having it redone every morning. Here's some of the most outlandish looks Depp has sported onscreen.

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Johnny Depp's Many Movie Faces: From Jack Sparrow to the Mad Hatter (Photos)

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