Johnny Depp Confirms His Return For ‘Fantastic Beasts 3’

After being teased in the first film, followed by a cameo appearance at the end, Johnny Depp is set to take the Wizarding World by storm when Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald premieres later this year.

And though Newt Scamander and Albus Dumbledore might be victorious in the new movie, it sounds like Gellert Grindelwald will live to fight another day. While speaking with Collider, Depp has already revealed he’s returning for the third installment, set to begin filming in 2019.

“The possibilities in that world are wide open, so you can really try anything,” Depp said, speaking of the future of the franchise. ‘So it was a gas and I look forward to the next installment, which I think we start the middle of next year.”

Depp spoke passionately about his part in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, praising writer and creator J.K. Rowling for trusting him and his process.

“It was amazing. It came out of nowhere. Someone said J.K. Rowling would like to talk to me. I spoke to a few producers and the director and to J.K. and had long conversations basically about the Grindelwald character. J.K. said something I did not expect to hear because obviously her detail to her characters and those wizarding worlds is astonishing.

“The fact that she said, ‘I can’t wait to see what you do with the character.’ Just to hand it off to me with that degree of trust, I was really touched, blown away by that. So I jumped into locating the character and I had my ideas. I came in and it all seemed to work out. Grindelwald is an interesting character. His intentions in his mind are for the greater good, but there have been other people in world politics and such who felt the same way. [chuckles] He’s very dedicated to his beliefs. He’s not a fun character; he’s not funny.”

Of course, his inclusion has also courted some controversy. Depp was accused by ex-wife Amber Heard of domestic abuse, and the two had a well-documented separation that continues to spill out into the public eye. Rowling spoke out about Depp’s casting last year as fans began to criticize the franchise for his role.

“The huge, mutually supportive community that has grown up around Harry Potter is one of the greatest joys of my life,” Rowling said. “For me personally, the inability to speak openly to fans about this issue has been difficult, frustrating, and at times painful. However, the agreements that have been put in place to protect the privacy of two people, both of whom have expressed a desire to get on with their lives, must be respected. Based on our understanding of the circumstances, the filmmakers and I are not only comfortable sticking with our original casting but genuinely happy to have Johnny playing a major character in the movies.”

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald premieres in theaters on November 16th.