Unless you've been living under a rock for the better part of the last nineteen years, you've heard of a little series called Harry Potter. From her genius authorship of the seven book series and its subsequent sequels to the building of a cinematic mega-universe and the recent success of a theatrical masterpiece headed to Broadway, J.K. Rowling has built an insurmountable empire almost singlehandedly. Harry Potter has been a household name for quite awhile and it doesn't seem like it'll lose its influence anytime soon. However, a recent event this past week has cast an unwanted shadow on the series' cinematic franchise.
Rowling had fans leaping for joy in September 2013 when she announced a further expansion of the magical universe with the beginnings of a new film development entitled Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them. She later built upon the hype by confirming that the film was the first installment of the franchise's approval of a three movie series, a plan that has now been expanded to a five films. It only got better with Eddie Redmayne, an international treasure, being cast as the lead role, Newt Scamander, but the excitement surrounding the new additions to the universe has since dimmed with the latest confirmed addition to the series's cast: Johnny Depp as the notorious villain Gillert Grindelwald.
The recent allegations that Depp domestically abused his soon to be ex-wife Amber Heard has caused serious controversy and many Harry Potter fans are up-in-arms about the actor's connection to their beloved magical universe. Talks about boycotting the new film when it releases later this month have gained serious traction across the world. Fans are passionately showing their disapproval of this decision and have said that they don't want the reputation of Depp to tarnish the almost squeaky-clean track record Harry Potter has created for itself. Heard has since dropped her lawsuit against her husband and donated all financial gains of the case to charity, but that has done little to rid the distrust and disapproval directed towards Depp as a whole.
Yes, this new addition to the cast, of an otherwise amazing franchise, has unavoidably put a dark, DARK shadow on a story that has touched billions of us. But we mustn't let one individual ruin the hard work of some of the most lovely actors and filmmakers in the world. The life lessons and fundamental beliefs that J.K. Rowling has taught us through the wonderful world of Harry Potter, excluding the shackle of Depp's casting, have been timeless and influential in the most magical ways. From teaching young minds about the importance of equality to building the self-esteem of fans everywhere, Harry Potter has touched each and every one of us in some way, albeit even if it was indirectly.
So even if the protests reluctantly fail and Johnny Depp does indeed put his disgraceful mark upon this international treasure of a magical world, don't let one man diminish the positive impact that J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter has made on everyone it has touched in the last nineteen plus years. Besides, Depp's character is the villain of the new installments, so at least we know that, with Harry Potter's track record, good will always triumph over evil.
"We must try not to sink beneath our anguish . . . but battle on."
—Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
