Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s Trial Is Already a Movie

For those who didn’t get enough of the six-week defamation trial between exes Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, Tubi has an original ripped-from-the-headlines movie based on the court debacle. Hot Take: The Depp/Heard Trial is a fictionalized retelling of the case. The movie premiered on the streaming service on Sept. 30, which is both free and ad-supported. It stars Days of Lives actor Mark Hapka as Depp, and Megan Davis as Heard. The film aims to present both sides of the story. “This is not life — no one should have to go through this,” Depp’s character says in a scene featured in the trailer. Heard’s character is heard saying: “I have the right to say what happened to me.” The trailer also references the TikTok trend that emerged during the trial in which users mocked Heard’s emotional testimony on the stand. “Girl just wants some attention!” one social media user says in the trailer. Melissa Marty and Mary Carrig also star in the film.

The movie doesn’t just chronicle the trial. It also follows the relationship of Depp and Heard leading up to the trailer. Tubi declares the ordeal as “the most-watched trial of the year.” The case stemmed from a 2018 op-ed Heard wrote for The Washington Post in which she detailed being a victim of domestic violence. Though she didn’t name Depp, it was widely assumed it’s who she accused of being her abuser due to previous public statements she made. Depp sued her for defamation, alleging she violated an NDA that forbade her from speaking of him or their marriage. She countersued.

A jury sided with Depp, and she was awarded to pay millions to her ex. Members of the jury spoke out and said that Heard wasn’t “believable” during her emotional testimony. She’s since announced plans to appeal.

The Tubi film was Tubi fast-tracked the movie into production. Per Deadline’s report, the purpose of getting the film out so quickly was “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,” Tubi’s chief content officer Adam Lewinson said in a statement.