Just four months after the verdict was rendered, Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s defamation trial is set to be sensationalized even further with a new movie, and EW has your exclusive first look at the bonkers trailer.
Tubi’s Hot Take: The Depp/Heard Trial stars Mark Hapka and Megan Davis as the warring exes, with the former sporting Depp’s signature goatee, ponytail, and sunglasses and the latter mimicking Heard’s much-discussed outfits.
The trailer features familiar touchstones from the trial, including Depp’s courtroom nonchalance, the intense scrutiny of Heard on social media, and yes, even a reference to James Franco — who was included on Heard’s witness list but never called to testify.
“It’s day one of the Depp vs. Heard defamation trial; though fans are showing support for both sides, there’s clearly a favourite here,” a reporter says in the trailer, referencing the Depp devotees who travelled from far and wide to attend the hearings and camp outside the courtroom.
Hot Take also stars Melissa Marty as Depp’s fan-favourite lawyer Camille Vasquez and Mary Carrig as Heard’s attorney Elaine Bredehoft.
The film, out September 30, is executive-produced by Brittany Clemons, Angie Day, Marianne C. Wunch, Hannah Pillemer, and Fernando Szew. Autumn Federici and Kristifor Cvijetic also produced.
Following a six-week trial in June, a seven-person jury determined that Heard intentionally and maliciously defamed Depp when she wrote a 2018 Washington Post op-ed identifying herself as a public figure representing domestic abuse. Heard’s team filed to appeal the verdict in July after a motion for a mistrial was denied.
“We believe the court made errors that prevented a just and fair verdict consistent with the First Amendment,” a spokesperson for Heard said. “While we realize today’s filing will ignite the Twitter bonfires, there are steps we need to take to ensure both fairness and justice.”
When reached for comment on the appeal, Depp’s spokesperson told EW, “The jury listened to the extensive evidence presented during the six-week trial and came to a clear and unanimous verdict that the defendant herself defamed Mr. Depp in multiple instances. We remain confident in our case and that this verdict will stand.”