Amid all the troubles Johnny Depp has been facing, the actor still got some good news after letting go of his Grindelwald role.
In 2016, Depp first appeared on the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise as Grindelwald. He went on to become the main antagonist on its second installment in 2018 titled Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.
But after he lost his libel case battle against The Sun, he had to put an end to his four-year career.
Despite that, The Hollywood Reporter said that the 57-year-old actor will still get his over $10 million paycheck. It is worth noting that he was only able to film once.
“Warner Bros. will be on the hook for Depp’s full salary, even though he only had shot one scene since production began on September 20 in London,” the statement says.
The set-up happened as Warner Bros. and Depp initially agreed to have a pay-or-play contract.
This agreement requires the company to pay him in full whether or not the film will be released. It also applies even when the role will be recast.
Warner Bros also explained that they did not fire him as Depp himself agreed to leave the franchise.
However, the option, if he had refused to accept the offer, is still unknown.
Before making a move, the news outlet said that Warner Bros aimed to allow due process to take its course.
After things fell into their respective places, they finally decided to talk about his future.
On Nov. 6, Depp announced that Warner Bros. asked him to leave his Grindelwald spot.
“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,” the actor wrote on Instagram.
Even before losing it, he actually already suffered after being accused of verbal and physical abuse before the second film.
During that time, the JK Rowling defended him as they wanted him to be part of the project.
“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 said.