Johnny Depp, Amber Heard defamation trial being adapted into film; cast and premiere date revealed

Days after the trailer for the upcoming documentary of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial, Johnny vs Amber: The US Trial, was released, a film, Hot Take: The Depp/Heard, about the recent defamation case is being rush-released on the streaming platform Tubi, said a new report. The trial, which concluded in June, saw Johnny suing his ex-wife for defamation over an op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post in 2018. Read more: Johnny Depp says ‘needed the work’ as he makes surprise appearance at MTV VMAs

In her piece, Amber had said that she had faced domestic abuse. Although Johnny was not named in the article, his lawyers had argued that it implied he was violent towards her during their relationship, which he has vehemently denied. As per a new report, the upcoming film about their court battle, Hot Take: The Depp/Heard, will star Mark Hapka as Johnny Depp and Megan Davis as Amber Heard, and is directed by Sara Lohman.

According to a report in Variety, Hot Take: The Depp/Heard Trial will dramatise events around the defamation case between Johnny and Amber that played out for over six weeks in a US court earlier this year. The report added that the film will follow the ‘tumultuous relationship’ between the former couple. While not much has been revealed about the film, Adam Lewinson, Tubi’s chief content officer, was quoted as saying in the Variety report that the film is set “to capture a timely take on a story that became part of the cultural zeitgeist, painting a unique picture of what millions watched play out in the headlines over the summer”.

Many social media users have reacted to the news of Hot Take: The Depp/Heard Trial releasing soon, with some expressing their displeasure. One fan even started a petition to stop the film’s release. The tweet read, “Sign this Petition to call on @Tubi to pull this film. Amber has suffered enough. You can hide your signature and it takes one minute…” Another one tweeted, “I absolutely do not want to see Hot Take: The Depp/Heard Trial on Tubi or anywhere else.”

Hot Take: The Depp/Heard Trial will release on Tubi, a streaming service owned by Fox Corporation, which will reportedly show the film for free from 30 September in countries, where it operates, which includes the US, Australia and New Zealand.

Johnny and Amber married at their Los Angeles home in 2015, after dating for nearly three years. In May 2016, Amber had filed for divorce from Johnny and secured a temporary restraining order against him. She said Johnny had physically abused her during their relationship, and that it happened most often, while he was high on drugs or alcohol.