AMBER HEARD
Ready To Get Wet in Aquaman 2 + More Roles
Ever since it was announced that Johnny Depp had been asked by Warner Bros. to step away from the Fantastic Beasts franchise, there has been renewed interest in the career of his ex-wife, Amber Heard. Some fans, angry at Depp’s being let go from a project, but Heard still being attached to the next Aquaman picture, have created a petition to have her removed from the DC superhero films. If you’re interested in the intricacies of what it would actually take to have her removed from the series, Screen Rant has a good write-up of why it’s not as easy as the petitioners may think.
As it reports, until Heard loses a civil suit or there are criminal charges against her, she stays on as Mera in the next Aquaman and beyond. That doesn’t mean her career will continue to prosper, however. Looking at her IMDb page shows that she only has three projects currently in development. One is Zack Snyder’s Justice League, which isn’t so much a new project as it is a recut of the previously released Justice League movie. That leaves her with two other projects: the upcoming Aquaman 2 and the romantic thriller Run Away with Me.
What is interesting to note is that the Aquaman sequel has been announced but is not in development. Run Away with Me, which follows an American in Paris who falls in love with a model and becomes entangled in Europe’s underworld, is currently listed in pre-production. However, Heard is the only actor attached so far, and according to the movie’s IMDb page, that info was last updated in February, 2018. Whether it ever moves into production is unknown; it’s in development limbo. If the film does move forward, who knows if Heard will remain attached to it.
We do know that Aquaman 2 is currently expected to be released on December 16, 2022. This could be a good indication of whether Heard will act as a draw or a deterrent to fans. Afterall, the aforementioned petition currently has 1.5 million signatures to remove her from the film. If the film makes less money than projected because of her involvement in it, then other studios and filmmakers may choose to eschew casting her in their upcoming projects. Perhaps the filmmakers of Run Away with Me are waiting to see just that.
What will also be interesting to see is how her previous projects continue to do in the home video and streaming market. She’s had prominent roles and won accolades for her performances. How will people look back on her work in films like Never Back Down and Pineapple Express, which earned her a Breakthrough Award at the Young Hollywood Awards? Will she continue to be looked at as a sex symbol? And perhaps, most interestingly, how will people look back at The Rum Diary? Afterall, it was on that set that she and Depp started their tumultuous relationship.
