Johnny Depp Recalls Warner Bros. Asking Him to Step Down From ‘Fantastic Beasts’: “They Wanted Me to Retire”

Johnny Depp reflects on losing his role as Grindelwald in the Harry Potter spinoff following his 2020 lawsuit loss and Warner Bros.’ swift decision to remove him.

Los Angeles [US], July 9:
Johnny Depp is opening up about the pivotal moment when Warner Bros. asked him to resign from the Fantastic Beasts franchise amid legal battles and public controversy involving his marriage to Amber Heard.

In a recent interview with The Telegraph, the Pirates of the Caribbean actor revealed how abruptly he was removed from his role as Gellert Grindelwald in the Harry Potter prequel series after losing a libel case against UK tabloid The Sun. The paper had referred to him as a “wife-beater” in a 2018 article.

“It literally stopped in a millisecond, like, while I was doing the movie,” Depp recalled. “They said we’d like you to resign. But what was really in my head was they wanted me to retire.”

The actor’s dismissal followed a ruling by a British court in 2020 that concluded the newspaper’s claims were “substantially true.” Shortly after, Warner Bros. released a statement confirming Depp’s departure from the Fantastic Beasts films.

“Johnny Depp will depart the Fantastic Beasts franchise. We thank Johnny for his work on the films to date,” the studio said at the time. “Fantastic Beasts 3 is currently in production, and the role of Gellert Grindelwald will be recast.”

Depp also issued his own public statement in November 2020, writing:

“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.”

But now, years later, Depp reveals a more visceral emotional reaction to the moment.

“F— you. There’s far too many of me to kill. If you think you can hurt me more than I’ve already been hurt you’re gravely mistaken,” he said.

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Depp’s Tenure as Grindelwald

Depp made a surprise cameo in 2016’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, revealed as Grindelwald in the final moments. He returned in a larger role for 2018’s Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. The third installment, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022), saw Mads Mikkelsen take over the role.

Though five films were originally planned for the series, Warner Bros. has since put the franchise on hold following underwhelming box office performance and mixed critical reception.

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What’s Next for Johnny Depp?

Despite the fallout, Depp has returned to filmmaking, including his recent French-language historical drama Jeanne du Barry, which premiered at Cannes. He is also reportedly involved in several upcoming projects, though details remain under wraps.

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