Credit: DisneyFor just the second time in his career, Johnny Depp stepped into the director’s chair to give us a film that many fans are hopeful will live up to big expectations.
Depp, who has been working on his career over in Europe following the legal saga ending with ex-wife Amber Heard, helmed Modì (2024), a biographical drama centered around the Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani. Despite his renowned acting prowess, Depp opted to stay behind the scenes, leaving the on-screen roles to an impressive cast featuring Riccardo Scamarcio, Stephen Graham, Luisa Ranieri, and Al Pacino.
Notably, this marked Depp’s second venture into directing, with his debut being The Brave (1997), a film he co-wrote, directed, and starred in as the lead character, Raphael. The movie, reported by Far Out Magazine, was an adaptation of Gregory Mcdonald’s novel of the same name, and it revolved around Raphael’s involvement in a sinister snuff film orchestrated by a mysterious benefactor portrayed by Marlon Brando.
Premiering at the Cannes Film Festival that year, The Brave received a lukewarm reception from critics, leading to Depp’s candid admission that he was willing to consider editing if necessary, but significant alterations would relegate the film to obscurity.
It’s worth noting that during this time, Johnny Depp had already established himself as a Hollywood superstar, but his iconic role of Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series had not yet been created. Depp’s quirky and charismatic performance in these movies, which began with Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), eventually garnered him immense popularity and multiple award nominations.
As a matter of fact, Depp’s portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow was so strong that it saved Disney from what many believed would be an utter disaster. The company had just lost millions of The Country Bears movie, and there were even speculations that Disney might not move forward with Pirates of the Caribbean.
Unfortunately, Depp’s movie was released six years before all this took place, and some have speculated that he might have gotten a more favorable response from fans and critics had it been after. Ultimately, though, the reviews forced Depp to abandon plans for domestic distribution of The Brave, making it unavailable in theaters or on home video.
The actor felt personally attacked for daring to venture into directing, and the film’s budget exceeded $5 million, causing Depp to cover the additional costs, which amounted to millions, the report shared. This financial decision meant there was little chance of recouping his investment.
Now, more than 25 years later, Depp is back in the director’s chair, looking for a different reaction to his next project. Fans are begging the celebrity to return to Hollywood for another major assignment, but nothing has moved forward yet.
What do you think Johnny Depp should do next? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!