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Johnny Depp as the magician Grindelwald
Photo: Warner Bros / Everett Collection / imago images
The actor Johnny Depp announced on Friday via Instagram that he would no longer play a role in the film series "Fantastic Beasts".
He had previously lost a libel case he had brought against a tabloid in Great Britain which had called him a "woman's thug".
Depp wrote in his Instagram message that the Warner Bros. film studio had asked him to resign from his role as the villain Gellert Grindelwald, "I respect this request and have given my consent," he said.
Warner Bros confirmed in a statement that Depp would leave the "Fantastic Tierwersen" series and that a new Grindelwald actor would be cast.
Production of the third film in the spin-off series by "Harry Potter" author Joanne K. Rowling was recently completed.
According to the studio, the film is due to open in cinemas in 2022.
Johnny Depp announced on his Instagram account that he wanted to challenge the verdict in the defamation proceedings.
"My life and my career will not be defined by this moment," he added.
After hearing testimony from Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard, Judge Andrew Nicol ruled that the allegations against Depp were "essentially correct".
Johnny Depp had sued the News Group newspaper group, which publishes The Sun, over an article alleging violent attacks on Heard.
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feb / AP / Reuters