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Johnny Depp joins cast of 'Harry Potter' spin-off sequel

We're only a few weeks away from the premiere of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them—the new Harry Potter spin-off, prequel franchise—but there are already reports of who's going to be in the sequel.

In fact, Deadline just announced that Johnny Depp will star in the sequel to the highly anticipated film. There's also speculation that Depp may have a small cameo in the first movie—however, that hasn't been confirmed yet.

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Depp is slated begin filming the sequel early next year, but there are no hints of when the actual movie will release.

It seems Wizarding World fans are split on this casting.

On one hand, ComicBook.com mentions, “Many actors have been fan-cast in the film, and Depp is one of those who fans have hoped to see join the wizarding world. Deep’s in-depth, character-driven performances make him an ideal actor for the franchise.”

On the other, Fuse included some tweets from people were the opposite of happy with the news. Depp was recently involved in a domestic abuse case with Amber Heard—which some fans feel disqualifies him for the role.

There are also rumors that Depp will be playing Gellert Grindelwald. In connection to the beloved Harry Potter series, Grindelwald was an original friend of Dumbledore's, and the two actually had a plan at one point to find the Deathly Hallows.

Back in March, creator J.K. Rowling tweeted that the Fantastic Beasts novel will become a trilogy of movies.

How do you feel about this casting? Let us know in the comments.