Johnny Depp to Receive Full Fantastic Beasts Salary Despite Resignation: Report
Johnny Depp is going to receive a fantastic payday.
Just days after the Hollywood actor was forced to resign from the upcoming Fantastic Beasts movie, The Hollywood Reporter reports that Johnny will still receive his full salary for the project.
The publication claims Johnny doesn’t have a “morality clause.” In fact, he has a pay-or-play contract, which requires him to be fully compensated whether or not the film is made and even if he is recast.
Although THR reported that Johnny had only shot one scene since production started back on Sept. 20 in London, he is expected to receive his full salary, which could be as much as eight figures. E! News has reached out to Warner Bros., the studio behind the franchise, for comment.
On Nov. 6, Johnny confirmed that he would be walking away from the upcoming movie after losing his libel case against British tabloid, The Sun.
“Finally, I wish to say this. My resolve remains strong and I intend to prove that the allegations against me are false,” he continued. “My life and career will not be defined by this moment in time.”
Warner Bros. also issued a statement thanking Johnny for his contributions to the big screen. “We thank Johnny for his work on the films to date,” the message stated. “Fantastic Beasts 3 is currently in production, and the role of Gellert Grindelwald will be recast. The film will debut in theaters worldwide in the summer of 2022.”
The Fantastic Beasts films follow Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) and villain Gellert Grindelwald more than 60 years before the events of the original Harry Potter series.
The franchise, which is intended to include five films, has consistently performed well at the box office. In fact, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald earned close to $655 million worldwide in 2018.
