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    Johnny Depp will exit the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1341 Views
    In this Tuesday, July 14, 2020 file photo, American actor Johnny Depp gestures to the media as he arrives at the High Court in London. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, file)

    By Jake Coyle, Film Writer

    NEW YORK (AP) --

    Johnny Depp has exited the "Fantastic Beasts" franchise following his failed libel case against The Sun tabloid newspaper for a 2018 article that labeled him a "wife beater."

    Depp said Friday in a letter posted on Instagram that he would depart the role of the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald after the studio requested his resignation. Depp said his announcement came "in light of recent events."

    "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," said Depp. 

    Warner Bros. confirmed Depp's departure and said the role will be recast. "We thank Johnny for his work on the films to date," the studio said in a statement. The third "Fantastic Beasts" film is currently in production.

    Depp also said he would appeal the decision earlier this week by a British judge. After hearing testimony from Depp and ex-wife Amber Heard in the high-profile case, Justice Andrew Nicol said that the allegations against Depp were "substantially true." Depp had sued News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun, and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, over an article accusing him of assaulting Heard.

    "The surreal judgement of the court in the U.K. will not change my fight to tell the truth and I confirm that I plan to appeal," Depp said Friday. "My resolve remains strong and I intend to prove that the allegations against me are false. My life and career will not be defined by this moment in time."

    "Fantastic Beasts," a prequel franchise spun off from the "Harry Potter" films, has grossed nearly $1.5 billion between 2016's "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" and 2018's "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald."

    Tags:Fantastic BeastsJohnny DeppWarner Bros.



    Football Practice Preps Nikki Glaser For Hosting The Golden Globes

    Thursday, December 26, 2024
    Nikki Glaser stands on the field after NFL football game between the Los Angeles Chargers and the Denver Broncos, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)

    What do Tom Brady, Taylor Swift and comedy have to do with learning about football?

    In the case of Nikki Glaser, it is all intertwined.

    Glaser has become a familiar face to football fans this season. Her breakthrough performance at the Tom Brady Roast on May 5 paved the way for five appearances on Amazon Prime Video's "Thursday Night Football" postgame show.

    Before last Thursday's game between the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers, Glaser said doing her "Late Hits" segment was a no-brainer following her success at the Brady roast.

    "The football audience is kind of familiar with me already. It's one that is OK with me not knowing every detail about football or expecting me to be an expert about it because I was who I was on the Brady Roast. I kind of admitted to not really following football that much," Glaser said. "And I became a fan of Tom Brady and the sport in doing it through that process. So then I was like, 'Let me just keep learning about football through joking about it.' And that was kind of my goal."

    Glaser admits her knowledge of football is not all the way there yet. Still, it is further ahead than it was a year ago when she started casually watching Chiefs games due to Swift's relationship with Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce.

    And mostly then, it was to see when Swift appeared on screen.

    However, Glaser decided to start learning more about the game, which she compared to trying to learn a new language.

    "I went my whole life putting on blinders because I was just scared to look stupid if I tried to learn. I always thought football fans would be really judgmental and cruel about my lack of knowledge. But they're not," Glaser said. "They're eager for you to understand and... Read More

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