Johnny Depp is known for playing the role of Gellert Grindelwald, the main antagonist in the Fantastic Beasts franchise. A third movie in that franchise is currently in the works, but Depp will not be returning to the Wizarding World.
Depp made his debut appearance as the infamous dark wizard in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. In that film it was Percival Graves (Colin Farrell) disguised as Grindelwald. He then reprised his role in The Crimes of Grindelwald where he was generally himself and showed the world that he was the main villain.
The actor made this announcement on Instagram saying that he had to resign from the Warner Bros. project. He said:
“In light of recent events, I would like to make the following short statement. Firstly, 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. Secondly, 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. Finally, I wish to say this. The surreal judgment 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. Thank you for reading.“
The judgement that he was referring to was the libel suit against The Sun publication for calling him a “wife-beater” in 2018. Allegations of domestic abuse were raised against him by his ex-wife Amber Heard. After losing that case, it led to protests by Harry Potter fans after he was cast in the franchise. However, his role as Grindelwald received some praise and the first two movies became a box office success.
Now the role of the main villain is set for recasting. Even though Grindelwald will have a new face, Newt Scamander’s (Eddie Redmayne) story will carry on. In addition, we might be seeing the iconic duel between Dumbledore (Jude Law) and Grindelwald.
Fantastic Beasts 3 is scheduled to be released in 2022.
“Featured Image via Entertainment Weekly“
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