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Johnny Depp On ‘Fantastic Beasts’ Recasting: “They Wanted Me To Retire”

WARNER BROS STUDIO, JUL 8 – Johnny Depp was fired from the Fantastic Beasts franchise after losing a UK libel trial, costing Warner Bros $16 million and leading to Depp’s ongoing legal battles.

  • In November 2020, Warner Bros. announced Johnny Depp would depart the Fantastic Beasts franchise and thanked him for his work on the films to date.
  • This outcome came after Depp was unsuccessful in a 2020 defamation case in the United Kingdom concerning abuse claims made by Amber Heard, prompting Warner Bros. to request that he step down from his role as Grindelwald.
  • Depp respected and agreed to the request to resign, recalling he was told, "They said we'd like you to resign," and that the franchise stopped "in a millisecond" while he was filming.
  • Depp's salary for the third Fantastic Beasts film was reportedly $16 million, which the studio paid despite recasting the role with Mads Mikkelsen, who starred in the 2022 release The Secrets of Dumbledore.
  • After emerging largely victorious in his 2022 defamation trial against Heard, Mikkelsen stated Depp could potentially reprise the role, implying the franchise's future remains uncertain.
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PINKVILLA broke the news in on Tuesday, July 8, 2025.
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