Following the loss of his legal battle against Amber Heard and The Sun, Johnny Depp has removed himself from the movie franchise.
'Pirates of the Caribbean' and 'Fantastic Beasts' actor Johnny Depp has exited his role in JK Rowling's Wizarding World franchise. The news comes after the loss of his long-running libel battle with ex-wife Amber Heard and The Sun newspaper earlier this week.
In both entries in the 'Fantastic Beasts' franchise, Depp plays the role of Dumbledore's former lover best friend, the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald.
Depp released a statement on his Instagram account, detailing his news. According to the actor, Warner Bros. has asked him to "resign" from his role.
The actor wrote: "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.
"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."
Lastly, Johnny Depp said that he plans on appealing the court ruling from earlier this week. He writes: "Finally, I wish to say this. The surreal judgement 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."
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The question now remains - what becomes of this Wizarding World 'Fantastic Beasts' series? Should the whole franchise be scrapped altogether? If not, then can Colin Farrell please make a glorious return? And if that can't happen, then can we get a standalone Queeny movie for one of the only exciting characters from the second movie?
Expect news from Warner Bros. or JK Rowling on the future of the franchise to come. The third instalment was due to film in Brazil.
