Johnny Depp has broken his silence on being pushed out of the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise.
During an interview with The Telegraph published Saturday, July 5, the “Modi: Three Days on the Wing of Madness” director opened up about being recast in the “Harry Potter” spinoff series five years ago.
“They said we’d like you to resign,” Depp, 62, explained. “But what was really in my head was they wanted me to retire.”
Depp, who portrayed the character Gellert Grindelwald in the first and second “Fantastic Beasts” films, announced that he was resigning from the franchise in November 2020.
His announcement came shortly after he lost a libel case against The Sun newspaper connected to a 2018 story calling him a “wife-beater” while still married to Amber Heard.
“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,” the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star said at the time.
But when asked for a response to being recast over the weekend, Depp had a more pointed reply.
“F–k you,” he said. “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.”
After portraying Grindelwald at the end of 2016’s “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” Depp returned to the role for the 2018 sequel, “The Crimes of Grindelwald.”
Then, following his resignation from the role in 2020, Depp was replaced by Mads Mikkelsen, 59, for 2022’s “The Secrets of Dumbledore.”
Besides Depp, the franchise also starred Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander and Jude Law as a younger Albus Dumbledore.
Despite emerging largely victorious from the defamation trial against ex-wife Heard, 39, in 2022, Depp has mostly stayed away from the big screen.
His last live-action role, which was as Louis XV in the French film “Jeanne du Barry,” was in 2023.
Still, the “Edward Scissorhands” star has managed to keep busy in other ways.
Depp stepped out at The Curzon Mayfair in London on Tuesday, July 8, for the red carpet premiere of “Modi: Three Days on the Wing of Madness.”
“Modi,” which stars Al Pacino and Riccardo Scamarcio, marks the first film Depp has directed since 1997’s “The Brave.”
“Embarking on this cinematic journey as the director of ‘Modi’ has been an incredibly fulfilling and transformative experience,” the “Blow” actor said in a statement about the film last year.
“I would like to express my profound gratitude to the entire cast, crew and producers for their unwavering commitment and creativity,” he added.
After “Modi,” Depp is set to return to the big screen in a starring role for the new film “Day Drinker” with Madelyn Cline, 27, and Penélope Cruz, 51.
“Day Drinker” will reportedly follow a private-yacht bartender (Cline) who encounters a mysterious guest (Depp), per Deadline.
The pair then find themselves caught up with a criminal figure (Cruz) and connected in ways no one saw coming.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
