Discovery Orders Johnny Depp & Amber Heard Doc

Discovery has commissioned a two-part documentary that tells the story of Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s troubled marriage for discovery+.

Produced by Optomen, Johnny vs Amber delves into the breakdown of the famous duo’s marriage from their differing perspectives. Depp’s portion of the doc will show him learning that he’d married a liar who would stop at nothing to protect her image, while Heard’s part will explore how she married the man of her dreams who turned into a violent drug-fueled monster.

Johnny vs Amber will feature commentary from the lawyers involved on both sides, testimony from those close to the pair and footage and audio recordings filmed by the couple themselves. The two-parter will be available to watch on discovery+ this fall.

Heard filed for divorce from Depp in 2016, with accusations of abuse dominating press headlines and shocking their fans. The split included Heard securing a restraining order against Depp, leaked evidence of alleged domestic violence and Depp suing The Sun newspaper for portraying him as a “wife-beater.”

Clare Laycock, senior VP of planning and insights and head of entertainment at Discovery, said: “The series provides an in-depth insight into the epic battle that powered #JusticeforJohnnyDepp and #IStandWithYouAmberHeard fan campaigns and the very public High Court case that gripped us all. Optomen has done a fantastic job turning this multilayered story into something both engrossing and horrifying.”

Charlotte Reid, VP of commissioning for entertainment at Discovery, added: “The story of what happened between Johnny and Amber continues to be hugely divisive, between fans and the public at large. We set out to make a documentary that would explore the story from each of their perspectives, so the viewer can go beyond the headlines, understand who they are and decide who they should believe in this complex human story. We think it’s a compellingly contemporary story on truth and lies that we hope will open up a conversation with our viewers on discovery+.”

Nick Hornby, co-CEO at Optomen, commented: “Through the tapes, home videos and text messages shown in court, these films give viewers a rare and important insight into a marriage that went tragically wrong, and to better understand the hugely important issue of domestic violence.”