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12:01 p.m. PST 11/09/2020
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Tatiana Siegel
The studio will have to pay the star’s full salary, even though it had only shot one scene since production began on September 20 in London.
On November 5, the London crew of Warner Bros. ‘third untitled Fantastic beasts film were informed by the studio of a move which came as a surprise: Johnny Depp had been taken off the filming schedule.
The studio’s film director, Toby Emmerich, had made the decision the day before to sever ties with the star who was reprising his role as dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald in the five-movie franchise. The appeal was triggered by a UK judge dismissing Depp’s defamation claims in a closely watched lawsuit between the actor and the publisher of The sun after the British tabloid called Depp a “female drummer”. The judge’s ruling makes it much easier for news outlets to use similar portrayals by referring to Depp’s stormy two-year marriage to actress Amber Heard, creating a PR puzzle for the studio.
Sources say The Hollywood Reporter that Warners wanted to allow due process to run its course before making a decision on the beleaguer’s future in the franchise. Once Judge Andrew Nicol ruled he accepted Heard’s testimony, which was detailed and painted a picture of Depp as an abuser, Emmerich’s decision was a done, the studio having chosen to recast the role less than halfway through the franchise.
Still, Warner Bros. will be on the hook for Depp’s full salary, even though he had only shot one scene since production began on September 20 in London. Like many A-List stars, Depp had a so-called payment or play contract, which requires that he be paid in full regardless of whether the movie is made or not and even if it is recast. As is often the case with stars of his level, there was no morality clause in his contract, although it was amended with each new installment. Technically, Depp was not fired by Warner Bros. but was asked to resign. It is not known what recourse he would have had if the star had refused.
Depp is also suing Heard for libel in Virginia in a potentially disruptive case. Fantastic beasts filming schedule, already shaken by the coronavirus pandemic. A judge recently ruled that Depp should appear in person for three consecutive days in November for an upcoming deposition.
In a Nov. 6 Instagram post, Depp wrote, “I want to thank everyone who has offered me their support and loyalty. I have been moved and moved by your many messages of love and concern, especially in recent days. But a source says that Fantastic beasts Writer JK Rowling – Depp’s biggest supporter – has not pushed back Warners’ decision to remove the actor from the franchise. Rowling, who enjoys enormous influence at the studio due to her mega-hit Harry potter series, wrote in a December 2017 statement: “Based on our understanding of the circumstances, the filmmakers and I are not only comfortable with our original cast, but really happy that Johnny is playing a major character in the movies.
While the first two installments of Fantastic beasts franchise have collectively grossed over $ 1.4 billion worldwide, The Second Chapter, The Crimes of Grindelwald, declined on first entry and took in $ 654 million. The third film is scheduled for release on July 15, 2022.
The following Fantastic beasts the entry is described as a hat-trick, with Depp, Jude Law and Eddie Redmayne sharing the same screen time. But with an eight-figure salary, Depp is the highest earner of the three thanks to his box office record that was backed by the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Disney has avoided definitely weighing on the Depp case by taking the next one The Pirates exit in a female-led direction with a screenplay being written by Birds of prey scribe Christina Hodson with Margot Robbie starring.
Depp concluded his Instagram post with the promise that “my life and career will not be defined by this moment in time.” But for now, he may have lost his best opportunity to continue working in films made by major studios, which are increasingly against accusations of #MeToo and domestic violence.
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