Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling has commented upon the cast of Johnny Depp as the central villain in her ‘Fantastic Beasts’ series. There has been some controversy over the casting of the Pirates Of The Caribbean actor following Depp’s ex-wife Amber Heard accused him of domestic violence.
Rowling states in her statement that FB director David Yates had considered recasting for his role for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, which is currently shooting in London. She added that while she understood some fans will not be pleased, she is “genuinely happy” for Depp to play the pivotal character.
Here’s what she had to say via her official site.
When Johnny Depp was cast as Grindelwald, I thought he’d be wonderful in the role. However, around the time of filming his cameo in the first movie, stories had appeared in the press that deeply concerned me and everyone most closely involved in the franchise.
Harry Potter fans had legitimate questions and concerns about our choice to continue with Johnny Depp in the role. As David Yates, long-time Potter director, has already said, we naturally considered the possibility of recasting. I understand why some have been confused and angry about why that didn’t happen.
The huge, mutually supportive community that has grown up around Harry Potter is one of the greatest joys of my life. For me personally, the inability to speak openly to fans about this issue has been difficult, frustrating and at times painful. However, the agreements that have been put in place to protect the privacy of two people, both of whom have expressed a desire to get on with their lives, must be respected. 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.
I’ve loved writing the first two screenplays and I can’t wait for fans to see ‘The Crimes of Grindelwald’. I accept that there will be those who are not satisfied with our choice of actor in the title role. However, conscience isn’t governable by committee. Within the fictional world and outside it, we all have to do what we believe to be the right thing.
Warner Brothers, the studio behind the film, also released a brief statement.
They said:
“We are of course aware of reports that surfaced around the end of Johnny Depp’s marriage, and take seriously the complexity of the issues involved. 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.’ Based on the circumstances and the information available to us, we, along with the filmmakers, continue to support the decision to proceed with Johnny Depp in the role of Grindelwald in this and future films.”
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald will be released in 2018.
