A Disgraceful Decision: WB Has Johnny Depp Drop out of the Wizarding World
after unsubstantiated court ruling on libel case, depp is forced to resign from the harry potter universe
By: Keaton Marcus
Johnny Depp, who rose to fame as Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, has recently found another potential list of hits to his career: JK Rowling’s Wizarding World. However, WB has just asked Depp to resign from his role of Grindelwald, who he portrayed in the first two Fantastic Beasts movies. This is because of the recent court case that pitted Depp face-to-face with his ex-wife, Amber Heard, in a libel case against UK newspaper The Sun.
The actor had substantial evidence to support his claims, and from what we can see, Heard had absolutely nothing to defend herself. Nonetheless, judge Andrew Nicol ruled against his case, suggesting that the newspaper’s claims had been “substantially true.” After the ruling, WB released the statement: “Johnny Depp will depart from 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.”
From the information, we now know that the third installment has been delayed about half a year from its original date on November 12, 2021. What really gets me ticked off is the fact that none of us know for a fact that Depp actually did anything Heard or the Sun claims he did, but we do know that Heard has clearly abused him. It also brings to mind how much of a disaster the spin-off series has been, from Rowling’s increasingly transphobic comments on social media, to the box office disappointment of the second film, and now this. While WB has plans for a five-film franchise, if this one fails as hard as its immediate predecessor with the critics and audiences, three will be the last.
In terms of Depp’s role, I’m deeply disappointed that the studio straight-up fired him, but this could also be an opportunity for some really great upcoming movies. He may not be in the Harry Potter universe any more, but what about Oscar possibilities? What about chances for real acting? To be frank, the reception to his performance as Grindelwald wasn’t all that positive anyway, so it’s a mixed bag of feelings for me. I do remember when this series was magical, concluded with a satisfying ending that was nothing less than epic, but the two latest efforts have come off as more cash grabs than actual cinema.
For any Fantastic Beasts fans out there, you heard me, the next movie will open summer 2022, and hopefully this gives Depp the chance to further deepen his career. I’m with you.
