Johnny Depp is Pivoting to Directing After Being Dumped By Huge Franchises

in Disney, Entertainment

Johnny Depp as a confused Jack Sparrow in the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise

Credit: Disney

Johnny Depp has been having a whirlwind of career changes since he engaged in the huge defamation trial with his ex-wife Amber Heard. During the trial, Depp would take off to the UK to perform with the legendary guitarist Jeff Beck, who sadly passed away shortly after. Beck and Depp wrote an album called 18, which debuted in July 2022. Depp left the court case early to perform with Beck, which pointed to the actor likely learning he was set to win.

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard (as Mera)
Credit: Inside the Magic

Related: Johnny Depp Stars in Amber Heard’s Movie Despite Domestic Violence Controversy

Since then, everyone has patiently waited for the actor to return to the spotlight. Depp is returning to the acting world, as she is set to portray King Louis XV in the film Jeanne du Barry. The film is set for release at Cannes on May 16, which will be followed by the film’s release in French cinemas. The film will also be released on Netflix in France some 15 months after. The French-language film has no current release date planned for the United States.

Johnny Depp Dumped By More Than Disney

Hollywood Actor Johnny Depp in the role of Captain Jack Sparrow from 'Pirates of the Caribbean'
Credit: Inside the Magic

While fans of Johnny Depp in the States will have to wait for the film to arrive patiently, everyone has been steadily wondering if the beloved actor would be welcomed back to the world of Disney, especially regarding his iconic role of Captain Jack Sparrow. During his huge trial, Depp said he would not return to the House of Mouse even if offered “$300 million.”

This is likely because Disney did not back the man up in any fashion when his extensive trial took place. He was dumped long before that in 2019 when the op-ed from Amber Heard all but named the actor as her abuser.

Longtime producer for Pirates of the Caribbean, Jerry Bruckheimer, has also gone on record to say he loves Johnny Depp and would actively work to get the actor back to the franchise. However, there has been little movement on that front.

The other big franchise that Johnny Depp was dumped from was the Fantastic Beasts spinoff. The Harry Potter-based franchise swiftly recast Depp’s part of Grindelwald to Mads Mikkelsen. While Mikkelsen is a considerable actor, it just wasn’t the same. That franchise just didn’t land in the way that Harry Potter did. It could be because Depp was cast away, leaving the biggest draw for those movies missing.

With two huge franchises dumping the actor, it only stands to reason he would not want to return, even if Bruckheimer offered him $301 million. Because of that, Depp is pivoting his role in filmmaking to directing.

Johnny Depp Sets Cast ‘Modi’

Johnny Depp wearing glasses
Credit: ABC

Though Johnny Depp has been an actor for nearly 40 years, he has also spent some time in the director’s chair. However, it has been some 25 years since he last tackled this aspect of filmmaking. His last directing effort was in 1997’s The Brave, where he teamed up with legendary actor Marlon Brando.

Depp is set to team up with another legend for his next directorial effort, Modi. The film is a biopic about Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani and is set to star Riccardo Scamarcio, Pierre Niney, and Al Pacino. Scamarcio is set to take the lead role of Amedeo Modigliani, Niney will take the part of Utrillo, and Pacino is set to be international art collector, Gangnat.

Modi will follow the rise and fall of the artist during his time in Paris in 1916. Modigliani gets into trouble with the authorities and flees from French police but is convinced to stay by fellow artists.

The film is set to begin filming in Budapest this fall and will be shopped around at Cannes. We imagine that many studios will want to get their hands on the film, especially considering it’s Depp’s return to the director’s chair. There has been no mention that the actor will also carve out a role for himself in the film, but he could want to sit this one out in favor of calling the shots.

Johnny Depp may be at the outset of his acting career, but should Modi impress, he could fully evolve his career into the world of directing.

Are you excited to see Johnny Depp pivot to directing? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!

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