Benzinga - by Chris Katje, Benzinga Staff Writer.
Amber Heard found herself as one of the top searched people in 2022 alongside her ex-husband Johnny Depp. The two were involved in a highly publicized defamation lawsuit, which Depp won.
A new story has come out about multiple people wanting Heard removed from the highly anticipated “Aquaman” sequel set for release later this year.
What Happened: The court ruling against Heard could mean more bad news for Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD), the owner of the DC Comics brand and the Aquaman movie franchise.
Set for a release on Dec. 20, 2023, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” has been filled with drama with the movie studio having to make decisions over recasting Heard, keeping her in the movie or cutting her scenes.
Documents from Heard’s therapist, that were part of the trial, include accusations that Aquaman star Jason Momoa was drunk and dressed like Depp on set.
“Jason said he wanted me fired. Jason drunk – late on set. Dressing like Johnny. Has all the rings too,” the notes from Heard said.
DC fought back on the allegations by Heard, but a report from Variety shared that Heard was nearly fired from the film. The studio cited a lack of chemistry between Heard and Momoa. Another source pushed back saying said that Heard and Momoa did a chemistry test, with Heard beating out two other actresses, before she was linked to playing Hera in the two films.
One item that may have kept Heard involved in the sequel film was a letter from Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
According to Variety, Musk had a litigator send a “scorched-earth letter” to Warner Bros. In the letter, it was threatened that Musk would “burn the house down” if Heard wasn’t involved in the sequel. Musk and Heard were in a relationship for portions of 2017 and 2018 according to reports.
While Heard will be seen on screen in the sequel, reports also say that several scenes she filmed in the movie were cut.
Related Link: Aquaman Could Be Headed To Minecraft World With Movie Deal
Why It’s Important: Once seen as a potential competitor of the Marvel brand owned by Walt Disney Co (NYSE: DIS), the movies in the DC Comics movie universe have had mixed results.
The release of “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” also comes as Warner Bros. Discovery has restructured its movie and television plans for the DC Comics universe.
Many of the old superhero franchises will end or be recast going forward. Momoa is one of several stars who is not expected to be used in his current role going forward, but rumors do have him linked to playing the character Lobo in upcoming Superman movies.
“Aquaman” released in 2018 was a big hit for Warner Bros. The movie grossed $335.1 million domestically and $1.15 billion worldwide.
Since the release of that movie, many DC Comics movies outside of “The Batman” in 2022 have underperformed.
“Black Adam” released in 2022 grossed $168.2 million domestically and finished the year as the 11th highest-grossing film, but it ranks only 16th among DC Comics movies all-time.
Movies like “The Flash,” “Blue Beetle” and “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” have significantly underperformed expectations at the box office with $110 million or less domestically and totals of under $200 million worldwide in some cases.
Tension between Momoa and Heard could prove tricky for Warner Bros. if they are able to use the actors to promote the movie, which the current Hollywood strike is preventing.
The report said Momoa unfollowed Heard on Instagram and blocked her from following him.
Add in the rumored threatening letter from Musk that told Momoa and Warner Bros. that they couldn’t get rid of Heard and neither actor might want to promote the movie or relive the tension.
WBD Price Action: Warner Bros. stock trades at $10.96 versus a 52-week trading range of $8.82 to $16.34. Shares of the media company are up 15% year-to-date, but remain down 65% over the last five years.
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