'Aquaman 2' producer Peter Safran rejected the social media campaign driven by Johnny Depp fans to remove his estranged wife and actor Amber Heard for the DC sequel in the wake of the actors' tumultuous divorce.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, a social media drive led by Johnny Depp supporters has been constantly demanding removal of Amber from the much-awaited 'Aquaman 2' after Warner Bros. released Depp from the upcoming Fantastic Beasts sequel, with actor Mads Mikkelsen taking over the role of Gellert Grindelwald.
Dismissing the social media drive by Depp's supporters, Peter explained why the creative team didn't go with the idea of removing Amber from the movie.
"I don't think we're ever going to react to, honestly, pure fan pressure, you gotta do what's best for the movie. We felt that if it's [director] James Wan and [star] Jason Momoa, it should be Amber Heard. That's really what it was," Peter told Deadline's Hero Nation podcast.
"One is not unaware of what is going on in the Twitter-verse, but that doesn't mean you have to react to it or take it as gospel or accede to their wishes. You have to do what's right for the film, and that's really where we landed on it," he added.
Amber has kept a low profile since her ex-husband, Depp lost a legal battle over libel in the UK in November 2020. The superstar actor, who Amber accused of abuse, sued a British newspaper after they labelled him a 'wife-beater'.
Last November, Amber who plays aquatic warrior Mera in the franchise described the protests in an interview with Entertainment Weekly as "paid rumors and paid campaigns on social media" that "don't dictate [casting decisions] because they have no basis in reality. Only the fans actually made Aquaman and Aquaman 2 happen. I'm excited to get started next year."
'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom' is slated for release on December 16, 2022.
( With inputs from ANI )
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