Trading pirates for wizards: Johnny Depp joins Fantastic Beasts franchise

Johnny Depp is about to enter a world of magic. The actor is set to be part of Harry Potterauthor J.K. Rowling's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themin a secretive role according to a Warner Bros. representative Tuesday.

Depp will appear in a cameo in the first film, which opens on Nov. 18, and have a bigger role alongside star Eddie Redmayne in the sequel in 2018.

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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themis based onRowling'sbook of the same name and set 60 years earlier thanHarry Potter in 1926 New York.

There are five films planned in the WarnerBros. franchise.

Deppis no stranger to franchises, having led both the live-actionAlicefilms andThe Pirates of the Caribbean,both for Disney.