Johnny Depp Officially Replaced by Much Younger Actor for an Iconic Film Role
Johnny Depp Officially Replaced by Much Younger Actor for an Iconic Film Role
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You might be thinking the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard case has closed but honestly its far from over! Since the case has started many rumors and alleged news about both the actor have come to light! And in the mess, both of them have lost many gigs. Recently, it has been reported that Depp has been officially replaced by an actor more than 30 years younger than him in one of the most iconic roles of his Hollywood career.
All the fuss started when Depp's ex-wife Amber Heard penned an opinion piece for The Washington Post in which she painted herself the victim of domestic violence and domestic abuse. Almost immediately, Depp’s multi-decade career began to crumble. It would be nearly four years before Depp's name would be cleared in a U. S. court of law. But the damage was clearly already done–some of it irreparable.
Disney cut ties with Depp in 2018 after Heard's op-ed was published, and though Heard was found to be the abuser by a jury of her peers during the Depp v. Heard defamation trial in 2022, Disney has yet to apologize to Depp or offer him the reprisal of his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates 6. Now Warner Bros. is following suit, or so it seems on the surface.
Revival of Willy Wonka
Following a popular trend in filmmaking over the last decade, Warner Bros. is now set to release a new adaptation of the 2005 film, which was a take-two of the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory starring Gene Wilder, which only made about $4 million at the box office.
Wonka is the story before the story of its film predecessors, serving to tell the backstory of Willy Wonka and his candy factory. Like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the new film features a chocolate shop, Willy Wonka, the influence of members of Roald Dahl’s estate, and amazing visual effects. What it’s missing, however, is Johnny Depp in a pair of chunky white round sunglasses.
Johnny Depp Willy Wonka vs Timothee Chalamet Willy Wonka
The role of Willy Wonka is instead being played by 27-year-old actor Timothee Chalamet. Chalamet is young, but his Hollywood resume is long. Over the course of his career thus far, the actor has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Call Me by Your Name. He was also nominated for a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Critics’ Choice Movie Award–each one for Best Actor.
But despite what it might look like, Warner Bros. didn't skip over Depp because of the studio’s refusal to cast him. Rather, because the film focuses on Willy Wonka's younger years, it makes sense that a different (and younger) actor was cast in the role. We’ll leave it to fans to decide which actor better embraces the role–Depp or Chalamet.
Chalamet headlines an all-star cast in Wonka, which includes Olivia Colman, Keegan-Michael Key, Sally Hawkins, Matt Lucas, Rowan Atkinson, Natasha Rothwell, Rufus Jones, and Simon Farnaby. Fans can give it a go at satisfying their Wonka sweet teeth when the new film debuts at the theater on December 15.
What are your thoughts? Stay tuned with NotedNames for more information.