Fans of Hulu's Animaniacs revival are calling out Warner Bros. for what's being perceived by some as a commentary on Johnny Depp and his very public, very messy divorce from Amber Heard.One of the episodes features a musical number in which Yakko, Wakko and Dot sing about Hollywood's infatuation with reboots. During the scene, Yakko sings "You've done sequels, try for prequels" while pointing from one movie parody poster to another. The first features Depp holding a pair of scissors and advertises a fictional film called Johnny 2, with the tagline "Telling Lies." The second (aka the "prequel") is titled Johnny and features the tagline "The Beginning," along with a picture of an infant holding a bag filled with colorful items. Some fans have taken this as Warner Bros. labeling Depp a liar and an abuser -- specifically in relation to Heard claiming Depp cut off his own finger while Depp claimed it was Heard who nearly severed it.[EMBED_TWITTER]https://twitter.com/johnnycdebt/status/1330257793769725952[/EMBED_TWITTER]
Others, meanwhile, have interpreted the imagery as a nod to the wildly popular Johnny Johnny Yes Papa video on YouTube by LooLoo kids.
It's also worth noting the early stages of production on Hulu's Animaniacs revival began in May 2017, after the initial finger-cutting incident became public but several years before the issues between Depp and Heard reached their current boiling point.
On Nov. 2, 2020, Depp lost a libel case against The Sun over a headline that referred to him as a "wife beater." Days later, Warner Bros. asked him to resign from Fantastic Beasts 3. While Depp obliged, the nature of his contract means Warner Bros. still needs to pay the actor's $10 million salary, as he'd already filmed a scene.
In 2019, it was revealed that Depp reportedly called on Warner Bros. to remove Heard from Aquaman, in which she played the DC superhero Mera. This didn't come to pass, though, and Heard went on to co-star in the billion-dollar superhero blockbuster. She is expected to return for the sequel.
They’re back! The Warner brothers, Yakko and Wakko, and the Warner sister Dot, have a great time wreaking havoc and mayhem in the lives of everyone they meet. After returning to their beloved home, the Warner Bros. water tower, the siblings waste no time in causing chaos and comic confusion as they run loose through the studio, turning the world into their personal playground. Joining Yakko, Wakko and Dot, fan-favorite characters Pinky and the Brain also return to continue their quest for world domination.
Animaniacs stars Jess Harnell, Maurice LaMarche, Tress MacNeille and Rob Paulsen. Season 1 is now streaming on Hulu.