
As noted in the comments of our article yesterday, quite a few of you were rankling at this weekend past’s surprising announcement that Johnny Depp had been asked to resign from his role as Gellert Grindelwald in the upcoming third Fantastic Beasts film. This came after Depp shockingly lost a libel case against British tabloid The Sun, the latest twist in a messy and public divorce from actress Amber Heard. While initially painted in a terribly abusive light by Heard, subsequent evidence has since turned the tables showing Heard to have been the aggressor in their admittedly toxic relationship. But that was apparently not enough stop Warner Bros. from giving him the chop.
And if you’re upset about that injustice, especially since WB still continues to do business with Heard, there’s a little bit of restitution. According to The Hollywood Reporter, despite only filming a single scene before his exit, Depp is getting paid his full eight-figure salary for the film. A salary that is even larger than that of co-stars Eddie Redmayne and Jude Law – who play Newt Scamander and a young Albus Dumbledore, respectively, and who were all set to share equal screen time with him. Reportedly, Depp has a pay-or-play contract, meaning that he gets paid upfront irrespective of whether there are any changes to the film. This includes the film not even being made or his role being recast – the latter being exactly what will happen here.

There are sometimes caveats to these types of contracts, which are common for A-list Hollywood stars, but in Depp’s case there was no morality clause included that could possibly have been triggered. Technically, Depp also wasn’t fired from the gig. I mean, he kinda was, but he wasn’t, which means the studio has to pay up. Things may have been different if Depp had dug in his heels and refused to go, but the actor acquiesced.
As to why WB decided to let him go now when the evidence was seemingly mounting in his favour, as opposed to the start of this fiasco when Heard’s now-proven-false accusations looked damning, sources tell THR that the studio “wanted to allow due process to take its course” first. And apparently, a single lost libel case, with a highly questionable ruling, against a tabloid rag is due course. In my opinion, WB messed up big time here in how it handled this situation, but at least it’s not messing with Depp’s livelihood.
The still-untitled next Fantastic Beasts film, the third entry in a planned five-film series, is now set for a new release date of 15 July 2022.
Last Updated: November 10, 2020
CrAiGiSh
November 10, 2020 at 13:21
Hollywood … kicking actors to the curb without a second thought.
Original Heretic
November 10, 2020 at 13:56
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Allykhat
November 10, 2020 at 13:56
I’d actually watch it then
Allykhat
November 10, 2020 at 13:56
Admittedly, I enjoyed the fantastic beasts movies. I wont watch this one out of principle now. Same for any film featuring Heard.
For the Emperor!
November 10, 2020 at 12:45
Little consolation as it has already affected his career. I would say “not gonna watch the movie”, but that would ring hollow as I have not seen the others yet either. Also, there are a certain group of people in this world for whom the law and “what is right” only matters when it suits them. This is one of those cases.
Insomnia is fun
November 10, 2020 at 13:39
Being paid after asking to resign is the least they could do. But his name is forever mud. Yet that bitch gets of scotch free?
Equality right?
Allykhat
November 10, 2020 at 13:56
Watch her make a play for the pay check from this now….
MaSeKind
November 10, 2020 at 14:35
Yeah if they’re going to fire one, they should fire the other. Just seem fair to me
BradeLunner
November 10, 2020 at 14:18
It’s something!
Mandalorian Jim
November 10, 2020 at 18:10
At least, Depp ccan still make a comeback, whereas Heard’s limited acting ability means her appeal will last only as long as her looks.
She’s about 34 now, which means she only has a few years left. The fact that Depp will be paid for his 8 movies is barely a consolation because who knows when he’ll be able to get back on his feet. Hopefully, he’ll be able to weather the storm like Mel Gibson, and come out of it, stronger than ever.
Hopefully, with Hollywood in flux, he’ll get scooped up earlier rather than later.
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