The news broke Tuesday night as journalists who saw an early screening of the Warner Bros. movie, which opens November 18, reported that Depp makes a very brief cameo. Deadline then confirmed that Depp will star in the sequel, though there are no details yet on who he is playing.
The sequel is slated for release on November 16, 2018.
Depp has been spending most of his time jumping from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise (the next entry, "Dead Men Tell No Tales," comes out in May 2017) to "Alice in Wonderland" in the last few years.
Depp will also star in the latest adaptation of "Murder on the Orient Express," which comes out in November 2017.
"Harry Potter" author and "Fantastic Beasts" screenwriter J.K. Rowling said in October that there will be five films made in the "Fantastic Beasts" franchise.
"Fantastic Beasts" stars Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander, who finds himself in a jam in 1920s New York City when his magical beasts escape from his briefcase.
Business Insider reached out to Warner Bros. for comment but did not receive an immediate response.