In an interview for Entertainment Weekly, the director [David Yates] broke the silence on the decision to keep Johnny Depp in the cast of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.
“A lot of people are being charged. Accused by many victims, and this is embarrassing and scary, “said Yates. “With Johnny, it seems to me that a person hit him and claimed something. I can only talk about the man I see every day: he is very respectful and kind. That’s all I see. Any accusation that has been made does not match the gentle human being who works with me.”
Depp was accused by the actress Amber Heard, his ex-wife, of domestic violence. During the interview, Yates reasoned that other partners of the actor defended him openly, and declared the matter closed:
“It’s quite different than where there are several charges over many years, which need to be investigated, and we must reflect on our industry that allows this to happen every year. Johnny is not in this category at all. For me, there is no need for further analysis. It’s a closed subject. “
With its première scheduled for November 16th, 2018, the sequel happens in New York, London and Paris, with references to the [Harry Potter] stories. A few months after being captured, Grindelwald escapes dramatically from MACUSA and conquers followers to his witch supremacy cause. With help from the magizoologist Newt Scamander, the only wizard capable of stoping him is Albus Dumbledore, a Hogwarts professor. In an darker era of the Wizarding World, the characters will face dangers to test their loyalty.
Translated by: Mauren Ziak
Reviewed by: Aline Michel