After accusations of a wifebeater from his ex-wife, Johnny Depp has been fired from Warner Brothers and their franchise Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Johnny Depp has acknowledged that he won’t continue his role in the prequel franchise for Harry Potter as he posted on his Instagram that Warner Bros. Pictures asked him to leave due to his situation which he has agreed to do.

“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.”

This statement from both the studio and the actor is due to an article in the newspaper criticizing the choice of the role, as The Sun play out Johnny Depp as a wife-beater. Even the studio has spoken out for this, while Depp is seeking an appeal in court in London.

“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,” read the statement from a studio spokesperson. “The film will debut in theaters worldwide in the summer of 2022.”

 The films in the franchise have been met with some criticism and there’s planned to have five installments leading up to the Harry Potter – narrative. The spin-off series has earned $1,5 billion. The third film of five is currently scheduled for the summer of 2022. It was prior to the pandemic changed that moved to 2022.  Johnny Depp wrote also in his statement that he doesn’t want this lost will to define his life and career.

Source: THR.com