The cinema giant has cut off all of its ties with the Pirates of the Caribbean actor. The studio does owe him a salary, despite the fact that he has shot only one scene since September. The production for the third Fantastic Beasts film had started in London on September the 20th.
The studio had informed all the cast and crew on November 5 that the actor will no longer be a part of the shooting schedule. The actor plays the role of the prime antagonist Gellert Grindelwald in the franchise.
The actor has been asked for his resignation. The move has come after Toby Emmerich, who is the chief of the film operations at the studio, made a decision to exclude him from the franchise. Emmerich’s decision might have been influenced by the fact that Depp was denied any defamation justice by a U.K. judge at the end of the famous trial, which saw the actor go head to head against The Sun after its editor had called him a “wife-beater.” Other newspapers had started similarly calling him, and all of this had created massive trouble for the studio’s PR team.
The Hollywood Reporter has reported that Warner Bros. was patiently waiting for the judicial process to take its course before making any decision. Now, when judge Andrew Nicol has ruled the case in favor of Amber Heard’s testimony, the studio made its decision to cut off its professional relationship with Johnny Depp and has made it clear that they are looking for someone to replace him in the role of Gellert Grindelwald.
Since Depp has a “pay-or-play” contract (like many A-list actors), the studio is liable to pay him his full salary regardless of the fact that he wouldn’t be a part of the film anymore.
It is imperative to understand that the actor has been asked for his resignation, and Warner Bros. still hasn’t fired him. It’s uncertain whether things will blow out of proportion should the actor refuse to leave.
Johnny Depp had thanked his fans on November the 6th via an Instagram post in which he had written that he feels gratitude for the love and concern he has been getting from the fans, “particularly from the last few days.” Author JK Rowling, however, has not spoken anything publicly over the current issue, but the word is that she hadn’t stopped Warner Bros. from making this decision. Her last comment on this issue had come way back in 2017, where she had said that she and the studio are quite “comfortable” to let Johnny play the role of Grindelwald.
The first film was a worldwide success and an Oscar winner in costume design. The second film was underwhelming, and its affluence was also way behind the numbers obtained by the first. The third film in the franchise has been scheduled for a July 2022 release.
The film stars Eddie Redmayne and Katherine Waterston in the leading roles with Jude Law, supporting them in the role of Professor Dumbledore. Johnny Depp was the one signed up for Gellert Grindelwald, but now the studio is in the hunt to sign another A-listed actor in that role as soon as possible.
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