'#BoycottAquaman2' trends after film's test screenings show Amber Heard's screentime has DOUBLED

Warner Brothers faced quite the backlash amid claims that Amber Heard's screentime on 'Aquaman 2' was "doubled" following her trial loss to Johnny Depp in his defamation case.

More than four million people have signed a petition to remove Heard, 36, from 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,' the 2023 sequel to 'Aquaman' (2018), directed by James Wan. The actress is said to have almost lost the role prior to her trial against her ex-husband, but her costar Jason Momoa, who plays the lead role of Aquaman, reportedly fought to keep her on the film's roster as 'Mera'. Insiders spread rumors during the defamation trial that Heard had nearly been cut from the movie, with less than ten minutes of screen time.

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On June 1, a Virginia-based jury ruled in a unanimous decision that Heard, 36, defamed Depp, 58, when she called herself a victim of domestic abuse in a 2018 op-ed for The Washington Post. Heard was ordered to pay $15 million in damages, including $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, before Judge Penney Azcarate reduced the punitive damages to $350,000 as per Virginia state law. The jury also awarded Heard compensatory damages of $2 million, agreeing to her claim of being defamed when Depp's lawyer Adam Waldman called her abuse allegations a "hoax".

Following the verdict, some outlets had reported that Heard had been cut entirely from the cast of 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.'

Depp fans had rejoiced at the news because they believed Depp's career went on a downward spiral following Heard's allegations of domestic abuse. He had subsequently lost his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the next 'Pirates of the Caribbean' movie, as well as the chance to play Gellert Grindewald in the Harry Potter spinoff series, 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.'

However, it has now emerged that Heard may have "doubled" her screentime in the sequel. According to reports from test screenings this week, the actress's screentime is around 20-25 minutes, which is more than double of what was previously suggested. "Just got a confirmation that the latest #Aquaman2 test screening that was held today still had Amber Heard from start to finish," Twitter user @UndercoverCine, who regularly reports on film news, wrote. "Probably WB is testing the waters with the public now that the trial is over. Screentime approximately around 20-25 mins. #AquamanAndTheLostKingdom."

Depp fans were enraged after reports of Heard's extended screentime made the rounds on social media. "Ahhh ok….so if a woman is an abuser is Hollywood they give you more screen time…yeah, that makes sense #Aquaman2 #AmberIsALiar #boycottaquaman2," one tweeted. "So #WarnerBros fires #JohnnyDepp from #FantasticBeasts because #AmberTurd pointed the finger at him, but #AmberHeard gets her screentime doubled in #Aquaman2 despite being proven a malicious liar and domestic abuser in a court of law? WOW. Good to know. I will #boycottaquaman2," another wrote. "Wow! @wbpictures @warnerbros are deluded. They remove JD from fantastic beasts almost immediately but they keep AH in Aquaman 2 after more than 4 million viewers sign the petition to remove her. #boycottaquaman2," someone else reacted.

It's worth noting that 'Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom' is not slated for release until 2023.