Today, J.K. Rowling broke her silence on the casting of Johnny Depp in the Fantastic Beasts franchise — and the Internet isn’t sure how to feel about it.
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Fans have responded negatively to the casting for over a year now, since Depp first had a secret cameo as Gellert Grindelwald in 2016’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. As some were quick to argue, it’s wrong to include Depp in such a major franchise, especially following the abuse allegations brought up by his ex-wife (and fellow Warner Bros. employee) Amber Heard.
The debate was kicked up again in a pretty big way last week, after Rowling blocked a fan on Twitter who asked why Depp was still cast in the upcoming Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. But according to Rowling, any potential recasting was ultimately decided against.
“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,” Rowling wrote earlier today.
Since Rowling posted her statement – which was accompanied by a statement from Warner Bros. as well – fans haven’t shied away from expressing their disappointment online. Here’s a round-up of some of those tweets.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald hits theaters on November 16, 2018.
