According to reports, Johnny Depp has landed his first gig as a film director after 25 years.
Depp will helm Modigliani, a film on Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani, twenty-five years after he co-directed it with Marlon Brando in 1997’s The Brave, his feature directorial debut. He will also co-produce the film with Al Pacino and Barry Navidi.
Based on Dennis McIntyre’s play and adapted for the screen by Jerzy and Mary Kromolowski, the film would follow the story of a painter and sculptor in Paris in 1916. Modigliani, long considered a critical and financial failure, navigates a tumultuous and dramatic 48 hours that would become a watershed point in his life, finally confirming his reputation as an artistic icon. The casting will be revealed soon, and the production will start in Europe in the spring of 2023.
Depp’s second European project, while he recovers from his arduous defamation battle against his ex-wife Amber Heard, is Modigliani. Depp is also playing King Louis XV in Jeanne du Barry, a historical love story by French director Mawenn, which started production in late July and marks his first feature in three years.
The film also marks Pacino and Navidi’s fourth collaboration, having previously collaborated on The Merchant of Venice (2004), Wilde Salomé (2011), and Salomé (2013). Both produce with IN.2 and Depp.
Despite being most known for his on-screen roles, Depp has produced twelve movies, including Hugo (2011) and Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds With Shane MacGowan (2020).
