Rumored Testimony Claims Walter Hamada Wanted Amber Heard Recast In Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom
JB Augustine
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DC Films don Walter Hamada could be on his way out when Discovery’s takeover fully sets in but he hasn’t departed yet so he still has responsibilities.
Source: Batman v Superman – Dawn of Justice (2016), Warner Bros.
Those include making appearances when called upon, even at trials involving actors working on the projects he supervises. In this case, the actor in question is Amber Heard, who plays the DCEU’s Mera, whose court proceedings opposite ex-husband Johnny Depp are ongoing.
Hamada reportedly provided three hours of testimony according to Matthew Belloni at Puck. Belloni claimed, “Walter Hamada, president of DC Films, sat for a three-hour deposition on this issue as part of the Depp case.”
The issue in question was regarding whether or not Warner Bros. would feature Heard in the Aquaman sequel.
Source: Aquaman (2018), Warner Bros.
According to Belloni, “Hamada is said to have testified that Heard was initially not picked up because there were concerns about her chemistry with star Jason Momoa.”
A separate rumor from the MissMovies Facebook page claims that Hamada also testified, “The role of Mera was about to be offered to another actress.”
While the other actress’s name was not mentioned, sources close to the YouTube channel Midnight’s Edge claim it was none other than Emilia Clarke.
The star of Game of Thrones worked with Momoa on the series and the two became close friends afterward. Their chemistry on-screen is undeniable, giving fans the idea Clarke would be an excellent fit for Mera.
She is also not the liability Amber Heard has shown herself to be but higher-ups at Warner above Walter Hamada on the totem pole didn’t see things that way.
Unnamed superiors allegedly vetoed him, saving Heard’s job. Midnight’s Edge’s intelligence claims these Warner execs are Toby Emmerich and Ann Sarnoff with the latter particularly siding with Heard as the victim in her dispute with Depp.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
RELATED: Report Further Hints Walter Hamada Will Be Ousted From DC Films By Warner Discovery CEO David Zaslav
Hamada had to have made his comments under oath and therefore it looks as though earlier speculation he was in Amber Heard’s corner was inaccurate and he was only following orders.
With Sarnoff out and Emmerich as well as Hamada allegedly ready to follow suit, Discovery’s David Zaslav will have new directives. Reportedly hellbent on restructuring DC the Marvel way, he wants major changes in the DCEU lineup.
Source: Batman v Superman (2016), Warner Bros.
Translation, Zaslav wants rid of Heard and Ezra Miller due to them turning into PR kryptonite and sources say he doesn’t want to wait until after The Flash and Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom reach screens.
Zaslav may see fit to scrub them entirely, a process Midnight’s Edge points out will cost more money though it can be done in a reasonable amount of time.
Source: Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021), HBO Max
The Fly 2 actor Eric Stoltz parted ways with Back to the Future after a few weeks and Michael J. Fox reshot all his scenes. It was the right call considering the movie went on to be a monster success with Fox in the lead.
Before the release of Ridley Scott’s All the Money in the World, a similar situation arose when the accusations of sexual assault against Kevin Spacey surfaced. He finished all his scenes but was fired nonetheless and replaced by Christopher Plummer with weeks to go.
Source: Back to the Future (1985) – Universal Pictures
What Zaslav may attempt – two movies in the same continuity radically altered for a release the same year – is still unprecedented. It’s going to be a risky gamble. We’ll see if any of this is true if and when Hamada’s deposition shows up during the trial.
What do you make of this rumor?
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