Following Depp's exit, 'Fantastic Beasts 3' delays release

Hollywood star announced last week that he has been asked to resign from the popular franchise after losing libel case

Last week, Hollywood A-lister Johnny Depp announced that he has been asked to resign from the famous franchise, Fantastic Beasts as Gellert Grindlewald. That same day, the studio announced that Fantastic Beasts 3 would be delayed, as a result, reported Digital Spy.

Following a weekend of not knowing what date the Wizarding World's third installment would be moved to, the official word’s come in that the movie will now drop in summer 2022. Instead of releasing on its original date in November 2021, the studio has announced that the film will now hit cinemas on July 15, 2022.

Depp on Friday was forced out of the Fantastic Beasts movie franchise days after losing a libel case in Britain against a tabloid that branded him a “wife-beater.”

The A-list actor, writing on Instagram, said that Warner Bros movie studio had asked him to leave his role as villain Gellert Grindelwald. "I have respected and agreed to that request," he said.

Warner Bros said in a statement that Depp “will depart the Fantastic Beasts franchise,” and that his role would be recast.

Depp recently resumed production on the third film in the spinoff from Harry Potter author JK Rowling. Warner Bros said on Friday its release date had been pushed back to summer 2022 from November 2021.

Rowling - herself a survivor of domestic abuse - declined to comment on Depp’s departure.

His exit marked a relatively rare move by Hollywood to recast an actor on ethical grounds.

Kevin Spacey’s role in All the Money in the World was reshot with Christopher Plummer in 2017 after Spacey was accused by more than 20 men of sexual misconduct. Spacey has not commented since making an apology to his first accuser.

Charlie Sheen was fired in 2011 from television’s top-rated Two and a Half Men after months of drink and drug-fueled partying. He was replaced by Ashton Kutcher.

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