When in 2018 Johnny Depp faced allegations of domestic violence against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, there were many who predicted a loud fall. Let’s not forget that before that Depp was one of the most popular and highly paid Hollywood stars, with box office receipts up to $ 50 million, such as in the latest Pirates of the Caribbean. Indeed, the blow was heavy, and the actor was actually … unemployed for almost four years, advertising contracts were terminated, planned film projects found their heroes elsewhere. Not even characters he played himself, such as the evil wizard Gellert Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts film series, which ended up being Mands Mikkelsen.

Coincidentally, it was his compatriot Dane who unofficially welcomed Johnny Depp’s return to the film community, calling in a recent interview an “incredible actor” who “won his case in court” and now may even reprise his role as Grindelwald. In order to turn the previously toxic Depp into an “unlikely actor,” his acquittal a few months ago in a Virginia court that ruled that his ex-wife’s abuse allegations were unfounded was tampered with.

Amedeo Modigliani

To turn the previously toxic Depp into an “unlikely actor”, his legal defense stepped in a few months ago.

But it’s not just the good words of Mikkelsen. A recent publication by the Hollywood Reporter reveals Johnny Depp and Al Pacino’s advanced plan to co-produce a new biography of the great artist Amedeo Modigliani, which Depp also intends to direct. If it does happen, it will only be his second directorial effort, after 1997’s The Brave. He confirmed this by saying: “It is a great honor and true humility for me to bring the saga of Modigliani’s life to the screen. … It was a life full of difficulties, but also the ultimate triumph – a universal human story that can touch all viewers.”

It’s not yet clear if Depp will also be in front of the camera in this movie – it’s unlikely he’ll play the much younger Modigliani – but it will happen anyway, as he’s currently filming Ludovico Ie, in Franco’s Jeanne du Barry -Algerian director and actress Maiven. So everything shows that we are talking about normal returns. Because the American actor may never again find star roles and (excessively) fat checks, but it’s clear that he still has many supporters in the industry who, even after the verdict of the court, feel more comfortable standing next to him.

James Franco, who also has almost four years to work on a movie or series, seems to be on the same recovery trajectory. On his back were sexual assault allegations against four students from his acting school, with whom he reached a $2.2 million court settlement last year alone. Of course, this amount is not necessary, since it frees him from moral stigma, but Franco seems to be enough to play in Billy August’s upcoming “I, You” and already have two or three new projects in the works. .