He is set to star as French king Louis XV in the next film directed by French filmmaker Maïwenn.
The Johnny Depp — Amber Heard defamation trial came to an end with a ruling in favor of Depp. He had sued his ex-wife after she had published the Washington Post op-ed sharing her experience of domestic abuse. She had not mentioned Depp by name but he still claimed it caused severe damage to his career.
Following the allegations made by Heard, Depp was asked to step back from the Fantastic Beasts franchise as well as from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. At one point the actor claimed he was being boycotted by Hollywood after the release of his film Minamata was being stalled. It seemed like no other acting job was coming Depp's way.
The domestic violence allegations saw Depp's fall from grace. But things may finally be looking up for Depp. There have been rumors that his longtime friend and collaborator may have cast him in the Beetlejuice sequel. But in other news, the 58-year-old may just be making a big-screen comeback with a new period film. He is set to star as French king Louis XV in the next film directed by French filmmaker Maïwenn, reported Variety. The shoot is set to begin this summer. The title of the film and the plot are still unknown at the moment.
The historical drama will feature the controversial royal who ruled France from 1715 to 1774. Although he was nicknamed "the Well-Beloved" and his reign outlasted every monarch other than his predecessor, he became an ineffectual ruler and died a hated man. His reign was so unpopular that it helped set the stage for the French Revolution, which began in 1787. This could also be the premise that the film will be exploring. Filming will take place for three months in locations across major Parisian landmarks but mostly at the Versailles Palace.
In addition to Depp, Maïwenn, who is also a French actress, will feature in the film. She will star as Jeanne du Barry, a countess who was Louis XV’s last mistress. The film will most likely be in French, a language Depp has a certain level of proficiency in. He had previously lived in France for many years with his ex-wife Vanessa Paradis, with whom he has a daughter Lily-Rose Depp. It could be the comeback Depp needs considering Maïwenn's previous films have been critically acclaimed.
Depp had previously lost the libel case against UK tabloid The Sun which had called him a "wife-beater." The legal proceedings of his defamation case followed this defeat where the UK court held that there was no libel. In the US courts, however, the judgment was in Depp's favor.
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