Johnny Depp already has his next movie lined up
For those clamouring to see Johnny Depp back on the big screen, they won’t have to wait long.
Upcoming Movies
Don't miss out on the headlines from Upcoming Movies. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Johnny Depp may have won his defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard, but it doesn’t mean he’s going to be headlining Hollywood blockbusters again.
Despite the fervent wishes of his diehard fans, Depp’s reputation remains on the skids thanks to the self-confessed condemnable behaviour the actor exhibited in his relationship with Heard.
Prominent Hollywood studios will be hesitant to work with Depp again despite the verdict in his favour – the risk/reward matrix doesn’t measure up when there are still legions of moviegoers who will boycott anything he’s involved in.
His career has also been on decline for the past decade, no longer the box office draw he used to be so for the likes of Disney, Warner Bros, Paramount or Universal to bankroll a Depp movie isn’t worth the controversy without a guaranteed financial pay-off.
But that doesn’t mean he’ll never work again.
Depp’s future lies in independent features where he is less of a risk for smaller financiers and filmmakers hoping to tap into his remaining talent and his vocal, frenzied fanbase.
Depp already has his next project lined up, but not in Hollywood.
Stream more entertainment news live & on demand with Flash. 25+ news channels in 1 place. New to Flash? Try 1 month free. Offer ends 31 October, 2022 >
Depp is attached to French film Jeanne du Barry, a biopic of King Louis XV’s famed mistress. Depp is slated to play the pre-Revolution king who ruled France for nearly six decades.
French actor Maiwenn is to direct and play du Barry while the movie will also star Louis Garrel, Pierre Richard and Noemie Lvovsky. Variety reported the movie is set to start filming in the northern hemisphere summer and will be shot on location at the Palace of Versailles.
European production company Wild Bunch is financing the picture and took it to the Cannes market earlier this year to sell global distribution rights. It’s not known how successful its sales effort was.
Wild Bunch has previously backed a raft of critically adored art house films including Ken Loach’s I, Daniel Blake, Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Shoplifters and Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth.
Wild Bunch also currently has on its slate disgraced filmmaker Roman Polanski’s next film.
There are also unverified rumours Depp may have been cast in an upcoming Beetlejuice sequel but this could be wish-fulfilment on the part of his supporters more than anything else.
Beetlejuice was a 1988 movie directed by Tim Burton, who worked with Depp on several films including Edward Scissorhands, Todd Sweeney, Sleepy Hollow and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Burton and Depp’s last collaboration was the 2016 Alice Through the Looking Glass, which Burton didn’t direct but produced.
A Beetlejuice sequel has been mooted for decades but firmed up in February when reports emerged Brad Pitt’s production company Plan B had joined the project.
With the involvement of Plan B and Warner Bros, where the film was being developed, it seems unlikely Depp would be welcomed.
Warner Bros is the home of the Harry Potter movies – Depp was pushed out of the Fantastic Beasts franchise and replaced by Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen.
Originally published as Johnny Depp already has his next movie lined up
Co-star accuses Jason Momoa of outburst
The Hollywood actor’s co-star has made damning comments about Momoa’s conduct on the set of an upcoming film.
Is this the most divisive film of 2024?
One of the world’s most influential film festivals is torn over the film that has been labelled both “Russian propaganda” or “anti-war” – depending on who you ask.