

The Associated Press





LOS ANGELES -- Johnny Depp is about to enter a world of magic. The actor is set to be part of "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling's "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" in 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.

"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" is based on Rowling's book of the same name and set 60 years earlier than Harry Potter in 1926 New York. There are five films planned in the Warner Bros. franchise.

Depp is no stranger to franchises, having led both the live-action "Alice" films and "The Pirates of the Caribbean," both for Disney.