Things aren’t looking great for Johnny Depp at the moment, with the actor expected to be left millions out of pocket after losing his latest high profile courtroom battle opposite ex-wife Amber Heard. But failing to win a libel case against a newspaper article that dubbed him a wife beater could have pretty severe consequences for a career that’s already on a downward trajectory as well.
A decade ago, Depp was the highest-paid actor on the planet and one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, but over the last few years, his bitter divorce and subsequent legal fights have seen his reputation and standing in the industry take a battering. Things have gotten so bad, in fact, that Disney are confident that the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise can succeed without him, even though his Captain Jack Sparrow is a genuine cinematic icon and the main selling point of the entire brand.
Shooting is already underway on Fantastic Beasts 3, with the actor still on board, but we’ve now heard from our sources – the same ones that told us a Justice League Dark show is in the works for HBO Max and Disney is developing an Aladdin sequel, both of which were correct – that the studio are seriously looking into reducing Depp’s role as Grindelwald following the outcome of his latest lawsuit.
Of course, the fans are still sticking firmly by his side, with #JusticeForJohnnyDepp already trending worldwide in the immediate aftermath of the verdict, but the creative team behind Fantastic Beasts 3 can’t exactly afford any more negative publicity for a franchise that already faces an uphill battle to remain relevant, never mind one with the increasingly controversial J.K. Rowling‘s name on the script and all over the marketing and promotional materials as well.