Johnny Depp Departs the FANTASTIC BEASTS Franchise After Warner Bros. Asks Him to Resign
Johnny Depp will no longer be playing the dark and villainous wizard Gellert Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts film franchise. The actor made the announcement himself on Instagram, explaining that Warner Bros. asked him to resign. The news comes days after he lost his libel case against The Sun over an 2018 article alleging he was a “wife beater.”
Depp explained in his post, “I wish to let you know that I have been asked to resign by Warner Bros. from my role as Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts and I have respected and agreed to that request.”
He went on to say, “I’d like to thank everybody who has gifted me with their support and loyalty. I have been humbled and moved by your many messages of love and concern, particularly over the last few days.”
He continued, “Finally, I wish to say this. The surreal judgement of the court in the U.K. will not change my fight to tell the truth and I confirm that I plan to appeal. My resolve remains strong and I intend to prove that the allegations against me are false. My life and career will not be defined by this moment in time.”
You can read his full letter below:
Warner Bros. confirmed Depp’s departure and said that his role will be recast before the third installment in the franchise premieres in 2022.
“Johnny Depp will depart the ‘Fantastic Beasts’ franchise. We thank Johnny for his work on the films to date. ‘Fantastic Beasts 3’ is currently in production, and the role of Gellert Grindelwald will be recast. The film will debut in theaters worldwide in the summer of 2022.”
There are have been a lot of Harry Potter fans who have wanted to see Depp ejected from the franchise after the allegations against him were first reported. WB finally thought it was time made him step down.
It’ll be interesting to see what actor ends up coming in to replace him. Are there any actors you’d like to see in the role of Gellert Grindelwald?
What do you all think about Depp’s departure?