104
Credit: Inside the MagicJohnny Depp movies are hugely popular, and critically-acclaimed actor Timothée Chalamet will be stepping into the shoes of one of Depp’s most famous roles.
The Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean) and Amber Heard (Aquaman) saga dominated news headlines last year when the former couple went to court in a huge $150 million defamation lawsuit. The defamation trial, launched by Depp for $50 million and countered with a $100 million claim by ex-wife Heard, came as a result of Heard’s Op-Ed in The Washington Post, where she documented her experience as the survivor of domestic abuse.
The jury, presided over by Judge Penney Azcarate, found Heard largely guilty of defaming Depp in Fairfax County, Virginia, last summer. Depp was also found guilty of defaming Heard too through his former lawyer Adam Waldman. Damages were dealt in their majority to the Pirates of the Caribbean star.
The defamation case in the United States came almost two years after Depp’s loss at the London High Court. Justice Andrew Nicol ruled in favor of The Sun and parent group News Group Newspapers LTD in a high-profile libel trial. It was the outcome here, of which claims of domestic abuse were found as “substantially true,” that Depp was cast out of Hollywood, losing roles in big commercial blockbusters like the Fantastic Beasts franchise and his beloved Pirates of the Caribbean series.
J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter spinoff was quick to recast Depp’s dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald with Mads Mikkelsen (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny). Still, his role as Captain Jack Sparrow is yet to get an update. There was the Margot Robbie-led sixth Pirates of the Caribbean movie, but that is seemingly dust, and recent comments by producer Jerry Bruckheimer suggest the door is still open for Depp’s return. However, neither party nor The Walt Disney Company has confirmed anything at this time.
Johnny Depp movies
Pirates of the Caribbean may be Depp’s most commercial franchise to date, with his role as the charming pirate being one of his best in the eyes of fans, but the actor has had a very tenured career in the movies. From early roles like A Nightmare of Elm Street (1984) to cult classics like Donnie Brasco (1997) and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), Johnny Depp movies have been popular for close to four decades.
Related: Disney Faces Massive New “Johnny Depp” Problem as Actor Officially Charged With Assault
His work with legendary director Tim Burton is perhaps the most well-known outside of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The early nineties gave cinema fans Edward Scissorhands (1990) and then Ed Wood (1994) four years later. Fast-forward to the 2000s, and the partnership would continue with movies like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), and the live-action Disney remake Alice in Wonderland (2010); the latter, where Depp played the Mad Hatter, went on to score over a billion dollars at the global box office.
This festive season will see the world returning to one of the world’s Depp completely made his own almost two decades ago.
Every Chocolate Factory has its beginning.
Wonka (2023), from director Paul King and Warner Bros. Pictures, is slated to release in theaters on December 15, 2023. The movie acts as a prequel to the classic Roald Dahl tale that was published in 1964 and sees huge star and Hollywood heavyweight Timothée Chalamet replace Johnny Depp and Gene Wilder as a young Willy Wonka. While Depp starred in Burton’s 2005 reboot, Wilder first brought the eccentric chocolatier to the screen in the family classic film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971).
A first look at Chalamet as the titular magical entrepreneur made its way online over a year ago, but some fans at this year’s CinemaCon have gotten the first official taste of what is to come this Christmas with new footage. Variety revealed what can be seen in the trailer; they wrote:
…Chalamet sings, dances and spins around a light pole á la “Singin’ in the Rain” as he searches the world for magical recipes. He later attempts to make people fly with his enchanted chocolates, a tease of the many wacky treats — like everlasting gobstoppers or snozzberries — that propelled Wonka to confectionary fame.
Related: Disney Is Being Forced to Bring Back Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow
Serving as a prequel, there will be no sign of Charlie in King’s musical movie, but the cast is stacked with talent like Olivia Colman (The Favorite), Sally Hawkins (The Amazing Spider-Man), Rowan Atkinson (Johnny English), Keegan-Michael Key (The Super Mario Bros. Movie) and confirmed at CinemaCon, British legend Hugh Grant will star as an Oompa Loompa.
Warner Bros. Discovery brought a lot of its upcoming film slate to CinemaCon, including a full viewing of The Flash (2023), and teasers of Dune: Part Two (2023), Barbie (2023), and The Color Purple (2023).
As for Depp, the actor can next be seen playing King Louis XV in Jeanne du Barry (2023), which will open the Cannes Film Festival.
Are you happy that Timothée Chalamet is taking over as Willy Wonka? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!