Tag: Johnny Depp

Fans Furious After Johnny Depp’s Grindlewald Appearance at Comic Con

The official trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindlewald debuted at San Diego Comic Con this past weekend, and was, controversially, followed by an appearance by Johnny Depp in character as the titular Gellert Grindlewald. Warner Bros’ decision to roll Depp out was met with outrage by fans, who booed the alleged domestic abuser, pointing out that his ex-wife and accuser Amber Heard was on the following panel, promoting her new movie Aquaman.

 

In 2016, Heard was awarded $5 million in her case against Depp, all of which she donated to charity. Outraged at Warner Bros’ perceived continued support of an alleged domestic abuser, fans of the Fantastic Beasts franchise demanded that Depp be recast, even calling for a boycott of the films. Controversy surrounding Depp’s retention in the role intensified when J.K. Rowling issued a statement in support of Depp.

 

Possibly due to acknowledging the unrest surrounding his presence at Comic Con, Depp did not participate in the panel discussion.

 

Fans and commentators took to Twitter to protest both his presence at the convention, and the proximity of his panel to Amber Heard’s, which was deemed extremely inappropriate.

 

Depp’s inclusion in the upcoming second installment is not the only aspect of the franchise currently courting controversy. The production recently came under fire after director David Yates confirmed that Dumbledore’s sexuality will not be explicitly addressed. It has been some years since J.K. Rowling confirmed that that the character of Albus Dumbledore is gay, though this is never specifically addressed in the books or films. Fans were hoping that film-makers would seize the opportunity to explore Dumbledore’s identity and provide representation for the LGBT community in the Fantastic Beasts series, and therefore Yates’ statement caused outcry, and renewed calls for a boycott of the series.

 

Watch the trailer for The Crimes of Grindelwald below.

 

 

Featured Image Via US Weekly

JK Rowling

Why I Unfollowed J.K. Rowling on Twitter

The more J.K. Rowling tweets, the more annoyed I get with her. Don’t get me wrong, I love Harry Potter. Love it, binged it, revisit it every so often. But all these little extra pieces of info Rowling spouts via her Twitter are really ruining it for me. 

 

When asked if there are any Jewish students in Hogwarts:

 

 

There’s just one. And he’s stereotypically named, and never mentioned in any of the 4,224 pages of the series. And it’s the same thing with Dumbledore’s sexuality. I’m all for a pivotal, respected character to be a part of the LGBT community, but why only disclose it after the series wraps?

 

Oh yeah, and then not include that information in the upcoming Fantastic Beasts sequel. For someone who calls themselves an ally of the LGBT community, Rowling sure isn’t representing the community well.

 

Then there’s her defense of Johnny Depp, despite the allegations surrounding his divorce. Though allegations probably (definitely) isn’t the right word to use. 

 

And of course, there’s this mess with Lavender Brown:

 

Lavender Brown whitewashed

Image Via Tumblr

 

I’m not the only one annoyed by the iconic author. Entertainment Weekly has an entire column, aptly called “This Week in J.K. Rowling”. The New York Post begs Rowling to “Stop Ruining Harry Potter.” Others worry about Rowling “falling into the same trap as Star Wars‘ George Lucas” with ex post facto plot announcements like there are Jewish students at Hogwarts (but no Wiccans), Hogwarts tuition is free, and an American wizarding school. 

 

 

Following J.K. Rowling on Twitter feels like subscribing to Made Up Harry Potter Facts, so I unsubscribed. I’ll get my J.K. Rowling news from retweets and headlines.

 

Featured Image Via RTE. 

Dan the man

Daniel Radcliffe Chimes in on Johnny Depp Casting Controversy

Harry Potter actor and consistently good sport Daniel Radcliffe has spoken for the first time about the controversy surrounding the casting of Johnny Depp in the titular role of the new Harry Potter film Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. 

 

Allegations of domestic violence were made against Depp by his ex-wife Amber Heard. Heard was awarded $5 million in her case against Depp, which she donated to various human rights charities. J. K. Rowling defended the decision to retain Depp in the role in a statement on her website, saying: 

 

The agreements that have been put in place to protect the privacy of two people, both of whom have expressed a desire to get on with their lives, must be respected.  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.

 

When asked about the growing controversy, Radcliffe told Entertainment Weekly, “it’s a very hard thing for me.” The film’s producers “gave me a great start in life and an amazing job.” However, he went on:

 

I can see why people are frustrated with the response that they were given from that … I’m not saying anything that anybody hasn’t already said — and this is a weird analogy to draw — [but] in the NFL, there are lots of players arrested for smoking weed and there is other people’s behavior that goes way beyond that and it’s tolerated because they’re very famous players. I suppose the thing I was struck by was, we did have a guy who was reprimanded for weed on the [original Potter] film, essentially, so obviously what Johnny has been accused of is much greater than that.

 

Radcliffe is referring to Vincent Crabbe actor Jamie Waylett, who was dropped for the final two Harry Potter films after he was arrested for growing ten marijuana plants in 2009. The fact that he was fired and Depp was not, despite Depp’s alleged actions seriously trumping Waylett’s in their severity, has frequently been cited by fans critical of the decision. 

 

Radcliffe’s response has been lauded on Twitter. Twitter user @hobbitlindsey, who was blocked by J.K. Rowling for similar comments, praised Radcliffe’s stance.

 

 

 

 

Featured Image Via Variety

jk and jd

Debate Heats up Surrounding J. K. Rowling’s Controversial Johnny Depp Statement

So yesterday, we reported on the statement that J. K. Rowling released in light of the growing disquiet among fans in relation to the casting of Johnny Depp in the new Fantastic Beasts movie. While we touched on fans’ reactions to the statement in yesterday’s article, the statement has garnered an enormous array of reactions, both positive and negative.

 

In her statement, Rowling defended the decision to keep Depp on, saying, “the agreements that have been put in place to protect the privacy of two people, both of whom have expressed a desire to get on with their lives, must be respected.  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.”

 

Depp’s casting has caused controversy due to the allegations of domestic violence made against him by his ex-wife Amber Heard, who provided photographic and video evidence of the abuse. Heard was awarded a $5 million settlement, the entirety of which she donated to charity.

 

Many fans of Depp have sided with Rowling, and are happy with the decision to keep Depp on, with the hashtag #JohnnyDeppIsMyGrindelwald gaining momentum. 

 

 

 

 

 

Others, however, take a dim view of Rowling’s statement, citing it as proof of Rowling’s ‘selective feminism.’ 

 

 

 

 

 

How do you feel about Depp’s casting and Rowling’s defense of it? Let us know in the comments! 

 

Featured Image Via Vanity Fair and Celebrity Net Worth 

depp

‘Fantastic Beasts 2’ Boycott Imminent Over Inclusion of Johnny Depp

Last week, the teaser trailer dropped for for The Crimes of Grindelwald, the sequel to Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. With the trailer came a slew of promises from the public that they would not be going to see it. Or at least not paying to do so. Why? Because Johnny Depp will play the titular role of Grindelwald. 

 

Fans became outraged when Depp was originally cast in the first film, with Digital Spy reporting that the decision had been called ‘horrific’. In August 2016, Depp and ex-wife Amber Heard reached a settlement awarding Heard $5 million after she alleged that Depp physically and verbally abused her, citing photos of her bruised face and a photo frame that Depp apparently smashed in a rage, as well as a video of him appearing enraged. 

 

depp

Image Via YouTube

 

The decision to cast Depp in the lead role of the new film has elicited an overwhelmingly negative response from the public, who disagree with the decision to cast someone accused of domestic violence in a prominent role in a film aimed primarily at young people. 

 

J.K. Rowling, despite her usually feminist leanings, defended Depp’s inclusion at the premiere of the first Beasts movie. “He’s done incredible things with that character,” she said. 

 

 

 

In response to the calls for Depp to be replaced in the Fantastic Beasts series, die hard Depp fans convinced of his innocence have started the hashtag #JohnnyDeppIsMyGrindelwald,  

 

 

 

Will you be going to see The Crimes of Grindlewald next year? Let us know in the comments! 

 

Featured Image Via YouTube and Warner Bros