If a recent petition is any indication, quite a few people would liked to see Amber Heard replaced as Mera in the upcoming Aquaman sequel, and it's now come to light that her ex husband tried to beat them to it by having her axed from the first movie!
The Hollywood Reporter has shared an extensive piece on the legal troubles which led to Johnny Depp being asked to step away from the role of Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts 3, and it reveals that the actor attempted to have Heard replaced as the female lead in James Wan's film.
Depp reportedly texted his sister Christi Dembrowski, a movie producer who is said to have some influence at Warner Bros., asking her to use her clout to have his ex booted from the project. Depp admits that his message read, “I want her replaced on the WB film.”
That obviously didn't happen, and Heard recently confirmed that she is set to reprise the role of Mera for Aquaman 2. "Paid rumors and paid campaigns on social media don't dictate [casting decisions] because they have no basis in reality," she added, addressing the petition and considerable fan backlash.
The report also confirms that Depp was able to net his full $16 million salary for Fantastic Beasts 3 thanks to a 'pay or play' deal with the studio. He has since been replaced as the villainous wizard by Mads Mikkelsen.
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Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.