Will Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s Divorce Affect Their Careers?
With an acrimonious divorce that left their admirers in utter shock, the greatest question posed by many entertainment fans around the world is whether the estrangement is set to have a deep-reaching effect on their careers.
With regard to Depp, a long-time box office tracking specialist Paul Dergarabedian opines, despite criminal allegations of domestic allegations levied against him, “Johnny is a huge star, he’s a huge brand. This is not a good thing, but is this something that will dog his career forever? If history tells us anything, it’s very doubtful.” However, there are no official records to show that Depp’s starring career has been affected by the unfortunate developments.
One celebrated Hollywood insider concurs with Depp, but stresses that it will not be as simple as anticipating that time will gradually make audiences overlook about the demeaning scandal. “He’s going to need to do a big sit-down with someone and explain all of this,” maintains the anonymous insider. “I know he doesn’t do big sit-downs, but this is serious. It can’t just get fixed on late-night shows. His biggest hits were family films.”
His recently unveiled masterpiece, Alice Through the Looking Glass, which officially opened on May 27, the very day Heard sought her restraining injunction, appeared in over $20 million under Disney’s most conformist four-day opening projections, going by the Deadline. (The official website also observes that box office numbers for follow-ups have been dismally low across the board in 2016.)
Nevertheless, Dergarabedian forecasts that by the time Depp’s next main box office final draw, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, rocks theaters next year, the thespian – and the agitated audience – will have forgotten the entire story, provided the film does not disappoint.
“By that time it’ll probably have no discernible impact on [the film] – but it also depends on how all of this plays out,” the convincingly opinionated expert further offers. “Not to diminish the seriousness of what’s being talked about, but generally these things have a pretty short shelf life.”
If Pirates elicits rave buzz as 2015’s Black Mass did, for which Depp clinched his widely accredited performance as a naturally ideal mobster Whitey Bulger, the high-prolife actor will doubtless move beyond a string of previous letdowns that include 2015’s well-staged Mortdecai, 2013’s compelling The Lone Ranger, and 2012’s unbeatable Dark Shadows.
As for any other great artistic impact, the jinxed marital split could have on Heard’s profession as a globally acknowledged artist, Dergarabedian maintains the 30-year-old star, whose big number remarkable roles appeared in 2015 in the epoch-making Magic Mike XXL and irresistible The Danish Girl, has a youthful advantage to her credit that is expected to counter any short-lived negative influence. “She’s not at his level [of fame], but she’s a lot younger than Depp,” he contends.
And her indomitable star appears to be on an indefatigable rise in the Hollywood circles. This summer, Heard will embark on the filming her own huge budget franchise, the unprecedentedly anticipated Justice League, in which she will enter an all-star cast that includes highflying names such as Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill for a major acting position as the Queen of Atlantis and Aquaman’s spouse, Mera.
Eventually, Dergarabedian contends that if the globally popular stars continue making a steady income, Hollywood will most likely continue enjoying their unrivalled talents. “The bottom line: if the dollars make sense, then they’ll keep finding work.”
