With his high-profile court case with ex-wife Amber Heard behind him, Johnny Depp begins his career comeback. First up, he stars in Maïwenn‘s “Jeanne du Barry” as King Louis XV, with the film opening the Cannes Film Festival on May 16. But after that, Depp will direct “Modi,” a biopic about Italian artist Amedeu Modigliani. And EW reports that film now see Depp reunite with his “Donnie Brasco” cast member, Al Pacino.
Along with acting, Pacino joins “Modi” for a co-producer credit. Pacino will play Gangnat, an international art dealer, in the upcoming film. “Modi” follows Modigliani over 48 hours in 1916 Paris during World War i, as the artist muses about his creative future while on the run from the police. No word on how sizable Pacino’s role in the film is, but given his presence as a producer, expect him to feature heavily. As for the lead role, Italian actor Riccardo Scamarcio, who American audiences will recognize from the “John Wick” series and the upcoming Hercule Poirot pic “A Haunting In Venice,” will play Modigliani.
“Modi” marks Depp’s second time as a director after 1997’s “The Brave.” Depp also starred in that film alongside Marlon Brando. But “Modi” also marks Depp’s second film production in Europe after his legal issues with Heard. Could the actor be starting the next phase of his career on the continent? Depp doesn’t have any other projects lined up at the moment, but don’t be surprised if that’s the case.
Expect production on “Modi” to start in Paris later this year.