Following his monumental win against ex-wife Amber Heard in his USD 50 million defamation lawsuit, Johnny Depp is gearing up to return to filming. Though this time he will not be the hero of his flick. The Pirates of the Caribbean actor is set to make his return as a director with a biopic on the Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani.
This project will mark Depp’s return to the filmmaking scene after he made his debut as a director 25 years ago with the 1997 film The Brave where he directed both himself and Marlon Brando in his feature directorial debut. The actor is set to get behind the came for the biopic Modigliani alongside Al Pacino and Barry Navidi, who will be co-producing the project with Depp. The film is based on the play by Dennis McIntyre and worked on by screenwriters Jerzy and Mary Kromolowski.
The film will tell the story of the Italian sculptor Amedeo Modigliani and will be set in Paris in 1916. The tale chronicles the essential 48-hour journey of the sculptor from considering himself a critical and commercial failure to navigating a turbulent and eventful 48 hours that will become the turning point of his life and ultimately end up solidifying his status as an artistic legend. According to The Hollywood Reporter, production for the film is set to begin in the spring of 2023 in Europe while the final casting for the flick will be revealed shortly.
Meanwhile, Depp talked about the project, “The saga of Mr Modigliani’s life is one that I’m incredibly honoured, and truly humbled, to bring to the screen.” He continued, “It was a life of great hardship, but eventual triumph — a universally human story all viewers can identify with.”
