A statement filed in March by Walter Hamada, president of DC Films, a division of Warner Bros., in the defamation lawsuit between Heard and her ex-husband, Johnny Depp, was presented to the jury on Tuesday. Hamada stated that “Aquaman” was the company’s highest-grossing film. He said the studio never planned to portray Heard as a co-star in “Aquaman 2” and that Heard’s role was not limited to the upcoming film, “Aquaman the Lost Kingdom.”
“The size of the role of the film has been determined in the initial development of the script, which would have happened in 2018, I would say. The involvement of the character in the story was a bit like it was from the beginning,” Hamada . testified in the statement. “From the earliest stages of script development, the film was built around the character of Arthur and the character Orm. Arthur being Jason Momoa and Orm being Patrick Wilson. They were always the co-stars of the film. Movie “.
Depp has sued Heard for $ 50 million in a 2018 Washington Post opinion piece that wrote that the actor claims he defamed him and allegedly caused him to lose his job. Heard has sued Depp for $ 100 million, alleging that his lawyer’s statements in which he described his allegations of abuse by Depp as “deception” defamed her and cost her the work.
Heard stated that he believes his role in “Aquaman 2” has shrunk and that he even had to fight to be in the film, which is in post-production and will debut in 2023. (CNN and Warner Bros. are part of Warner Bros. Discovery.)
But Hamada stated in his statement that after filming “Aquaman”, the role of Heard in a sequel was discussed.
“I think editorially they were able to make that relationship work in the first film, but there was concern that it would take a lot of effort to get there and it would be better to rethink, find someone who had better and more natural chemistry. with Jason. Momoa and move forward that way, “Hamada said.
Hamada stated that the couple seemed to have good chemistry in “Aquaman”, but that the film was based on the “magic of post-production”, including editing, sound design and music, to help ” manufacture “their chemistry.
“It’s like what makes a movie star a movie star. You know it when you see it. And the chemistry wasn’t there,” Hamada said in the statement. “A good editor and a good filmmaker can choose the right shots and pick the right moments and combine scenes versus score. The music in the scene makes a big difference.”
Hamada also testified that Heard’s role in the film and his ability to renegotiate his compensation were not affected by his involvement in the dispute with Depp, nor by the statements made by Depp’s representatives.
Heard’s lawyers rest the case
Early Tuesday, Heard’s lawyers rested their case.
Heard testified for five days this month. Witnesses on her side have included actress Ellen Barkin, whose recorded testimony was performed for jurors last week. Barkin testified that while having sex with Depp in the 1990s, he once saw the actor throw a bottle of wine at a wall during an altercation.
A motion to challenge Heard’s counterclaims against Depp was denied Tuesday.
Her team is expected to continue to present rebuttal witnesses on Wednesday, which may include Kate Moss, Depp’s ex-girlfriend.
Closing arguments are expected on Friday.