Warner Bros. threequel movie of the franchise, Fantastic Beasts 3 got into production a few weeks ago. The creators were eying a 2021 release for the fantasy drama, but now it does not looks like fans will get the film in 2021. Warner Bros have recently let go of one of the lead actors- Johnny Depp who played Grindelwald. How will this shakeup affect the franchise?
There will be in total five movies in the Fantastic Beasts franchise that will span in 19 years, says J.K. Rowling. This Harry Potter spin-off is expected concluded in 1945. It is the time when Dumbledore dueled Grindelwald. The first movie from the series released in 2016 and was set in 1927 in New York. Then the second movie released in 2018 that took the set to Paris. The third movie is speculated to take place in Rio De Janeiro in the 1930s. When would Fantastic Beats 3 release? Why was Depp let go? Here is everything to know-
Fantastic Beasts 3: Release Date Postponed
For some time, all Fantastic Beasts fans had thought that the franchise would follow a two-year release pattern. That meant that Fantastic Beasts 3 would have released in November 2020. Then, COVID-19 happened, and Warner Bros. pushed the production, and we know that we weren’t getting the threequel in 2020.
Earlier on, the creators had announced that the movie would release in November 2021, but now, plans have changed, and the film is all set to release in the summer of 2022. In a statement, Warner Bros announced that Fantastic Beasts will be delayed. The team also revealed that Johnny Depp, who plays the character of Gellert Grindelwald, is stepping away from the franchise.
Johnny Depp Is Out!
Johnny Depp recently lost his libel lawsuit against the British tabloid, The Sun. The tabloid had published a story calling Depp as a “wife-beater” after the domestic violence allegations pressed on him by his now ex-wife- Amber Heard. This whole controversy started back in May 2016 when only a few days after filing for the divorce, Amber Heard also requested a restraining order that alleged emotional, verbal, and physical abuse. They got divorced in 2017. Both the parties- Depp and Heard have been quite vocal about the allegations. Depp has been fervently denying all of them.
Throughout the time of Depp’s association with the Fantastic Beasts 3, Warner Bros. were getting warnings about removing Depp. Supporting him, the Harry Potter author- J.K. Rowling, in a statement said that in the given circumstances and their understanding, the film-makers and she are not comfortable with their original casting, but they are genuinely happy that Johnny is playing such an important character in the movie.
What Does Depp Have To Say?
As the news surfaced, Depp posted for his fans. In the post he revealed that Warner Bros. have asked him to resign. He says that he respected that request and agreed to the request. In the letter, he called the libel judgment surreal and confirmed that he would appeal. Read the whole statement here-
As of now, many things are still unclear. One of the main questions is, who would take over to play the role? It is yet to be seen if this new actor will be made to like as Depp’s character or this change will be covered in the next film by giving it a creative alteration for the change in appearance. We hope to hear some news about this shakeup and how the story of the fantasy drama will be affected by it. We will keep updating this space with all the new information. So, you look out!