Published 21:41 IST, November 11th 2020
Warner Bros. cut ties with Johnny Depp; Here are all the possible reasons
On November 6, Johnny Depp announced his exit from Warner Bros in a statement. the announcement came as a shock for many but the reason for it was not cited.
On November 6, actor Johnny Depp announced that he will no longer portray the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts film franchise. In a brief statement, shared on social media, Johnny asserted, "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 announcement came as a shock for many of his fans, but a section of fans were concerned to know what exactly led to this. With a recent report, Variety has pointed out a few reasons that led to Depp's exit from the franchise.
Why Warner Bros. cut ties with Fantastic Beasts star?
First, on November 2, Johnny Depp lost his highly publicized libel case against the publisher of Britain's The Sun newspaper, whose claim that he was an abusive husband. Depp sued News Group Newspapers and The Sun's executive editor over an article that claimed the Pirates of the Caribbean star was violent toward estranged wife Amber Heard.
During the trial, Depp had admitted long-term problems with drugs and alcohol but said the tabloid's claims that he was violent toward Heard were "completely untrue."
On the other hand, The Crimes of Grindelwald significantly underperformed in theatres when it opened in 2018, grossing $654 million globally, the lowest take of any of the Wizarding World films. It was also Depp’s last major studio film prior to Fantastic Beasts 3.
Meanwhile, that same year, by contrast, Depp's estranged wife Amber Heard starred opposite Jason Momoa in Aquaman, which turned out to be the highest-grossing adaptation of a DC Comics property ever.
Later, ever since The Crimes of Grindelwald wrapped production, AT&T merged with Warner Bros.’ parent company Time Warner. The collaboration ushered in sweeping changes at what is now dubbed WarnerMedia, including a new CEO in Jason Kilar and a new studio chief in Ann Sarnoff. One of the most pronounced changes since the merger has been an overall lack of tolerance for the kind of controversy that every major studio has had to weather at one time or another when courting mercurial talent like Depp.
Updated 21:41 IST, November 11th 2020