Report: Amber Heard Was Not Fired From ‘Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom’ Due To Threat From Elon Musk
John F. Trent
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A wild new report claims that Amber Heard was not fired from her role as Mera in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom due to a threat from Elon Musk.
Mera (Amber Heard) confronts Aquaman (Jason Momoa) in Aquaman (2018), Warner Bros.
This new report comes from Variety’s Tatiana Siegel who claims that Heard was nearly fired from the film and that the studio even sent a letter to her attorney, Karl Austen, informing him that Heard would be let go due to a lack of chemistry with Aquaman actor Jason Momoa.
Former DC Films President Walter Hamada testified in court during Johnny Depp’s lawsuit against Heard that DC Films did indeed have conversations about recasting Heard due to a lack of chemistry.
Walter Hamada via DC FanDome – Multiverse
He stated, “It was the concerns that were brought up at the wrap of the first movie, production of the first movie, which was the issue of chemistry. Did the two have chemistry?”
“I think editorially they were able to make that relationship work in the first movie, but there was a concern that it took a lot of effort to get there,” he added. “And would we be better off recasting, finding someone who had more natural chemistry with Jason Momoa and move forward that way?”
Hamada later detailed, “The reality is it’s not uncommon on movies for two leads to not have chemistry. That it’s sort of movie magic and editorial, the ability to sort of put performances together and with the magic of, you know, a great score and how you put the pieces together you can fabricate, sort of, that chemistry.”
“I think, at the end of the day, if you watch the movie, they looked like they had great chemistry, but I just know that through the course of the post-production that it took a lot of effort to get there. Sometimes you don’t. Sometimes it’s very easy, you just put the characters on the screen together and they work, and sometimes it’s harder,” he added.
Jason Momoa as Aquaman in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023), Warner Bros. Pictures
Hamada also testified that Heard’s role in the film was not reduced. He said, “Besides the role in the film that she has was determined in the early development of the script, which would have happened in 2018, I would say. From there beyond normal development, the role sort of — the character’s involvement in the story was sort of what it was from the beginning.”
When asked if her role was ever reduced reduced, he testified, “No, I mean, again, from the early stages of the development of the script the movie was built around the character of Arthur and the character of Orm. Arthur being Jason Momoa and Orm being Patrick Wilson, so they were always the two co-leads of the movie.”
Patrick Wilson as Ocean Master Orm and Jason Momoa as Aquaman in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023), Warner Bros. Pictures
Hamada’s testimony contradicted Heard’s own testimony in which she claimed she was being removed from the script and having her role reduced.
She stated, “I was given a script and given new versions of the script that had taken away scenes that had action in it, that had depicted my character and another character – without giving away any spoilers – the two characters fighting with one another.”
“They basically took a bunch out of my role. They didn’t…They just removed a bunch,” Heard added.
Mera (Amber Heard) is accosted by Orm’s men in Aquaman (2018), Warner Bros. Entertainment via Blu-ray
While they had discussions about recasting Heard as Mera, she was not recast. And Siegel claims it is because Elon Musk sent a threatening letter.
Siegel writes, “Ultimately, the studio never pulled the trigger on firing Heard because her former boyfriend, Elon Musk, had one of his litigators send a ‘scorched-earth letter to Warner Bros. threatening to burn the house down’ if the actress wasn’t brought back for a sequel, says a source familiar with the behind-the-scenes battle.”
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023), Warner Bros. Pictures
Interestingly, this new report also contradicts testimony from one of Amber Heard’s witnesses Kathryn Arnold. Siegel claims that unsealed therapy notes from Amber Heard’s therapist Dr. Dawn Hughes accuse Momoa of showing up drunk on the set of the film and that the film’s director James Wan treated her like a pariah.
One note from Hughes about Wan states, “Even director of Aquaman II couldn’t acct + he raised his voice @ me — ‘I can’t even post about Aquaman’ — made it like it was my fault – I said ‘I’m sorry.'”
The note about Momoa also claims that he wanted her fired. It reads, “Then Jason said he wanted me fired as well…but on set Jason drink late on set, dressing up like Johnny – has all the rings too.”
Dr. Dawn Hughes unsealed therapy notes for Amber Heard
However, Arnold, an entertainment industry consultant, testified, “Jason Momoa, the star, and James Wan, the director, committed to her in an email saying if we are involved in this movie you will be…”
After an objection, she added, “Jason Momoa and the director were adamant that she was in the film, worked hard to be in the film.”
Jason Momoa as Aquaman in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023), Warner Bros. Pictures
Later she was asked on the witness stand, “And what if anything did you in all the record evidence did you see that the producer or Jason Momoa did not want Amber Heard in Aquaman 2?”
She responded, “I did not see any evidence of that.” When asked, “In fact, the opposite, correct?” Arnold replied, “Correct, again.”
A DC spokesman rebuked the claim from Heard via the therapy notes telling Variety, “James is known for treating members of his cast and crew with the utmost respect and for fostering a positive, collaborative environment on set — the ‘Aquaman’ films were no exception.”
The spokesman also pushed back against the claims that Momoa was drunk on set, “Jason Momoa conducted himself in a professional manner at all times on the set of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.”
Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023), Warner Bros. Pictures
What do you make of this new report?