London Fields is making more headlines with its legal troubles than with its plot. Producer Christopher Hanley is demanding $70,000 in sanctions after one of the film’s stars, Amber Heard, is allegedly making it difficult to schedule her testimony as part of a lawsuit against her. The suit filed in November of 2016 accuses Heard of breach of contract through a “campaign to damage Plaintiff, the Picture, and the Picture’s investors.”
An original suit by the embattled film’s director Mathew Cullen against its producers (for fraud, failing to pay him, and taking away final cut) pulled the films debut in the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in September 2015. Cullen, along with a star-studded cast including Johnny Depp, Billy Bob Thornton, and Jim Sturgess, accuse the Hanley and producers of “secretly preparing their own version of the film.” The actors have written letters to Hanley and other producers in support of Cullen.
The suit against Heard, brought about a year after the removal of the film from TIFF, arose from the Plaintiff’s claim that Heard failed to render acting services in conformity with the shooting script, and refused to attend the premiere at TIFF or engage in promotional events for the film, among others. Heard counters that the producers were not permitted to use nudity in the film under her contract.
A motion to compel Heard’s deposition was filed on Friday, October 27, and Plaintiff says that her deposition was noticed back in March of this year. Alternatively, a spokesperson for Heard stated that she “has complied and will continue to comply with her obligations in the case.” She had also fired her attorneys and replaced them with prominent California attorney, Mr. Eric George.
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