A week ago came the most WTF casting in recent memory when it was revealed that Johnny Depp was joining the “Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them” universe. Set to play Gellert Grindelwald, the actor will be making a cameo in the first ‘Fantastic Beasts’ film before taking a more prominent role in the subsequent sequels. However, some were left with a sour taste at Depp’s casting, particularly given the allegations of domestic abuse that surfaced earlier this year. But director David Yates says it was all about picking the best man for the job.
Chatting with The Leaky Cauldron, the director defended casting Depp, saying he has the talent for the gig, and that whatever else is going on in his personal life are just some “odd things” people are saying.
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“The whole principal of casting the movie was go with the best actor. 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?’ In this business, it’s a weird old business. You’re brilliant one week, people are saying odd things the next, you go up and down. But no one takes away your pure talent. Johnny Depp is a real artist,” Yates said. “He’s created several characters who have really resonated in our popular culture. He’s a really brilliant, brilliant actor. We were excited about seeing what he would do with this guy, the character. He’s fearless; he’s imaginative; he’s ambitious. We thought he would do something fun and special. So we went for him, purely on that selfish basis. We don’t care if he’s famous or not famous. We just know he’s interesting.”
Separating the art from the artist can be a complex thing, and I don’t think people are necessarily worried about Depp’s talent. But there does seem to be some discomfort with how quickly he’s bounced out of some very serious allegations and into another big, money-making franchise. Let us know what you think below.
“Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them” opens on November 18th. [via Collider]