After losing his libel case against British publication “The Sun”, actor Johnny Depp has been asked by Warner Brothers to exit his role in the popular Harry Potter spin-off series.
“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 in a statement on Instagram.
The Sun alleged that Johnny Depp was a wife beater and could find no significant evidence to overturn that. Warner Bros. confirmed Depp’s departure and announced his role will be recast before the third installment debuts. The studio also pushed back the release date for the upcoming entry, which was originally set for November 2021. It will now open in summer of 2022.
“Johnny Depp will depart the ‘Fantastic Beasts’ franchise. We thank Johnny for his work on the films to date,” the studio said. “‘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.”
Depp has stated that he plans to appeal the ruling in his case.
