Johnny Depp Comes Under Fire for Role in Harry Potter Spin-Off Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Warner Bros. just released their final trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and it was filled with all kinds of surprises including the revelation that Claudia Kim’s character is actually Nagini. You might recall that Nagini is Voldemort’s pet snake in the main Harry Potter series. A snake he puts a piece of his own soul into.
The trailer also showcases Johnny Depp’s Gellert Grindelwald, who debuted as the infamous criminal in [easyazon_link identifier=”B01MSIWWI2″ locale=”US” tag=”boundingintocomics-20″]Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them[/easyazon_link].
Apparently Depp’s inclusion in the film as the villain Grindelwald, didn’t sit well with a number of people. Rachel Leishman at The Mary Sue. claims that just the mere presence of Depp in the film is reason to not get excited for the film.
She writes, “The actor being accused of domestic abuse is already enough…but adding in the fact that the Harry Potter series is centered around an abused boy doesn’t help warm Depp’s casting to fans.”
The accusations of domestic abuse that Leishman writes about concerns Depp’s interactions with his ex-wife and Aquaman star Amber Heard. The two separated from each other in 2016 with Amber Heard filing a restraining order and claiming that Depp had domestically abused her. She noted that she had a bruise on her cheek which was the result of Depp throwing a cellphone at her face.
The Los Angeles police investigated Heard’s claims and found no evidence of a crime.
Depp through his lawyers called those allegations bogus and suggested that Heard was trying to get an increased payout from their pending divorce.
Heard would eventually withdraw her request for a restraining order and reach a settlement with Depp in August 2016. Depp and Heard would then release a joint statement that reads, “Neither party has made false accusations for financial gains. There was never an intent of physical or emotional harm.”
For the record, this was our FULL joint statement.To pick&choose certain lines & quote them out of context, is not right.Women, stay strong. pic.twitter.com/W7Tt6A3ROj
— Amber Heard (@realamberheard) December 8, 2017
Depp’s casting would be defended by both J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. back in 2017. USA Today reports Warner Bros. stated, “This matter has been jointly addressed by both parties, in a statement in which they said, ‘there was never any intent of physical or emotional harm.'”
J.K. Rowling released her own statement, “Based on our understanding of the circumstances, the filmmakers and I are not only comfortable sticking with our original casting, but genuinely happy to have Johnny playing a major character in the movies.”
While Depp was accused by Heard, an investigation appears to have been performed and no evidence was found. The two parties also came to a private agreement to divorce.
However, this wasn’t the only reason why Leishman believes Depp isn’t exciting fans about Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. She points to her own personal belief that Johnny Depp is not a hot commodity in Hollywood.
But Leishman doesn’t just want Johnny Depp in Fantastic Beasts, she believes he is only fit for a certain type of role moving forward.
“To be fair, the only casting that has seemingly fit for him and his character has been his role as Edward Ratchett in Murder on the Orient Express—you know, the role that is just a gross man.”
Leishman goes on to declare that other people share her opinion, “Depp’s involvement is turning people away from the Fantastic Beasts series.”
And there are some people who agree with her.
us: pleaase show us dumbledore’s canon gay romance! since you brought it up! and it’s important! also please fire abusive shit johnny depp
rowling: nagini was an asian woman all along here she is in a cage— caro ramsey (@caroramsey) September 25, 2018
@jk_rowling, any chance you can release which minutes Johnny Depp is in Fantastic Beasts 2? I love the series and you, but I’d like to time my bathroom breaks to skip him as much as possible. Please let me know.
— Mike Morrison ?️? (@mikesbloggity) September 26, 2018
Friends, how are you approaching the upcoming Fantastic Beasts movie? As someone who feels very not great about Johnny Depp and Rowling’s attitude towards his involvement, I’m curious how everyone feels about seeing it.
— Caleb (@DibsOnTheGibbs) September 26, 2018
Yeah…the majority of Americans still want you to remove JOHNNY DEPP from your franchise. You choose to keep him after HE BEAT AMBER HEARD. I hope tickets sales flop for your Fantastic Beasts franchise, Wizarding World production. And I hope tickets sales rise if you remove DEPP
— Jeber Torres (@jebertorres) September 27, 2018
im not going to see the new fantastic beasts movie because i hate johnny depp so much and i don’t want to look at his horrible face for 2 hours but it honestly has made me very sad because i loved the first movie an awful lot, it was special to me
— lizard (@lilpuddingsmama) September 26, 2018
However, there are fans who are excited to see Depp in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.
I AM SO READYY FOR FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD ???mostly excited for Johnny Depp ? (i know some potter fans are not. Im sorry you feel that way, pls dont be mean to my tweet ??)
— Alina Coronado (@_ali_alexis_) September 27, 2018
Can’t wait for fantastic beasts and where to find them 2 it had combined to of the best things ever Johnny Depp and the Wizarding World there is a god and her name is JK and I cannot wait for the new criminal minds
— beckycyphus5 (@CyphusRebekah) September 20, 2018
All the ones moaning about #JohnnyDepp in #FantasticBeasts well suck it up buttercup it’s too late he’s in it and it’s finished filming and ready to be shown you don’t want to see it just because he is in it well no one is bloody forcing you to so back off Our Johnny
— Alison (@Ali50ShadesFan) September 27, 2018
Yes, Rowling has so many amazing and intricate things woven into her stories, it really was a very substantial series as is Fantastic Beasts. As for Depp, the hate is getting old. No one is perfect but DEAL, sjw’s, Johnny Depp is Grindelwald. Get over it!!! ???
— Katie Quinn-#IBELIEVEHIM (@FantasyWeavers) September 27, 2018
I can’t tell you how excited i am for the Crimes of Grindelwald and especially Grindelwald Johnny Depp is a genius!!!! #JohnnyDepp #JohnnyDeppIsMyGrindelwald #FantasticBeasts pic.twitter.com/zH9LqB2avS
— Because it’s Johnny Depp (@MyGrindelwald) September 27, 2018
our TRUE and ONLY Gellert.✨#FantasticBeasts #WandsReady#GellertGrindelwald#JohnnyDepp#JohnnyDeppIsMyGrindelwald pic.twitter.com/FBDo86OUK6
— Edera (@SeverusPitonh) September 24, 2018
The rage against Johnny Depp seems to be completely misplaced. It looks like another case of people trying to weaponize the #MeToo movement in order to malign him.
Actor Sean Penn criticized the movement and rightfully so. He described the #MeToo movement as a “receptacle of the salacious.” He would go on to say, “We don’t know what’s a fact in many of the cases. Salacious is as soon as you call something a movement that is really a series of many individual accusers, victims, accusations, some of which are unfounded. The spirit of much of what has been the #MeToo movement is to divide men and women.” He would add, “I don’t want it to be a trend, and I’m very suspicious of a movement that gets glommed on to in great stridency and rage and without nuance. And even when people try to discuss it in a nuanced way, the nuance itself is attacked.”
I’m sure Depp will perform admirably as Gellert Grindelwald and Harry Potter fans across the world will embrace his performance.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald hits theaters on November 16, 2018.
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