johnny b gone
Johnny Depp leaves the Fantastic Beasts franchise after losing 'wife beater' libel case
Johnny Depp's Grindelwald won't return after all.
Depp revealed in an Instagram post on Friday that he's leaving the Fantastic Beasts film series after Warner Bros. asked him to resign from his role.
"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," Depp said.
Depp appeared as the villain Grindelwald in the first two Harry Potter spin-off films, but his casting drew criticism in light of the domestic abuse allegations made against him by his ex-wife, Amber Heard, which he has denied. Earlier this week, he lost a libel case against a British tabloid that referred to him as a "wife beater" in reference to the allegations.
Warner Bros. confirmed the news, saying that the third Fantastic Beasts movie is now in production and that the "role of Gellert Grindelwald will be recast," per Variety. The studio added it thanks Depp "for his work on the films to date." Though Depp may be gone from the films, given the firestorm that has erupted over anti-trans tweets by J.K. Rowling, don't expect Fantastic Beasts related controversy to end here.