Johnny’s tenure as Captain Jack Sparrow has officially come to an end, following a Disney executive’s confirmation that the actor will no longer be a part of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
The studio’s production chief, Sean Bailey, was speaking about the previously announced reboot – set to be written by Deadpool‘s Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese – when he was asked whether the series could survive without Johnny.
Rather than deny the reports, Bailey told The Hollywood Reporter:
“We want to bring in a new energy and vitality. I love the [Pirates] movies, but part of the reason Paul and Rhett are so interesting is that we want to give it a kick in the pants. And that’s what I’ve tasked them with.”
After being criticized for the casting of Gellert Grindelwald in the upcoming Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald movie, Johnny finally spoke out to Entertainment Weekly. A few months ago, the creator of the Harry Potter universe herself, J.K. Rowling had defended Johnny’s casting as Grindeldwald, and just now it had been Johnny’s turn to defend J.K. Rowling’s comments about his casting.
J.K. had had justified Johnny’s inclusion in the film following allegations of physical abuse made by Johnny’s ex-wife Amber Heard. She issued a statement in December 2017 saying: “The film-makers and I are not only comfortable sticking with our original casting, but [are] genuinely happy to have Johnny playing a major character in the movies.”
In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly to promote the film, Johnny said:
“I’ll be honest … I felt bad for J.K. having to field all these various feelings from people out there … But ultimately, there is real controversy. The fact remains I was falsely accused … J.K. has seen the evidence and therefore knows I was falsely accused, and that’s why she has publicly supported me.”
City of Lies – a crime film starring Johnny Depp and Forrest Whittaker, about the investigation into the death of rapper Notorious BIG – has reportedly been pulled from theatrical release a month before it was due to come out.
The film, directed by Brad Furman, follows LAPD detective Russell Poole (Depp) investigating the murder of Notorious BIG, also known as Biggie Smalls (real name Christopher Wallace), the year after the murder of fellow rapper Tupac Shakur. Whittaker plays journalist Jack Johnson, who joins forces with Poole to solve the murder.
Johnny Depp 