Johnny Depp’s great return to the scene with the French film Jeanne Du Barry will inaugurate the 2023 Cannes Film Festival tomorrow, the frenzy for the star’s appearance on the Croisette is growing, where he has been missing for 12 years.
The Festival of Cannes 2023 kicks off tomorrow with the opening film Jeanne du Barry and all eyes are on the star Johnny Depp, co-star of the French film as King Louis XV. This is Johnny Depp’s first role in a major production after leaving behind the lawsuit that saw him pitted against his ex-wife Amber Heard.
In Cannes, Johnny Depp will be called upon to fulfill the duties imposed by the festival, he will walk the red carpet alongside the director and interpreter of Jeanne Du Barry – The King’s Favorite, Maïwenn, and will also attend the press conference and other planned activities.
The last time Johnny Depp attended the Cannes Film Festival was in 2011 for the world premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.
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What is Jeanne Du Barry talking about?
In the center of the plot of Jeanne du Barry there is the young Jeanne (Maïwenn), a woman of humble origins who uses her intelligence and charm to make a social climb, attracting the attention of King Louis XV (Johnny Depp), who, unaware of the fact that she was a courtesan he falls madly in love with her. Jeanne, going against all rules, will go to live in Versailles, where her arrival will scandalize the court.
“I haven’t seen the movie, but it looks like it was a good way for Johnny Depp to get back on the cutting edge”, commented a veteran distributor. The film will soon arrive in Italy distributed by Notorious Pictures, but according to the Hollywood Reporter it has not yet found an American distributor. “I think everything will depend on the quality of the film and the quality of his performance”, adds the source. Added to the difficulties caused by Johnny Depp’s legal problems are the excesses of the director (Maiwenn, guilty of assaulting a journalist) who in the past had published a report according to which several women had accused the ex-husband of the filmmaker, Luc Besson, of rape. (https://movieplayer.it/news/maiwenn-regista-jeanne-du-barry-ammette-aggredito-giornalista_126904/ “Maiwenn, director of Jeanne Du Barry, admits to assaulting a journalist”).
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All eyes on Johnny Depp
“People are waiting to see how Depp will look at Cannes.”another industry veteran tells the Hollywood Reporter.
Add another source: “People had to take chances with Robert Downey Jr. when he got out of rehab and it ended up paying back the trust in a huge way”. (Downey’s comeback began after Mel Gibson cast him in the indie film The Singing Detective.)
Se Jeanne du Barry will be well received by critics there will certainly be interest among many US buyers. “We would absolutely take him if the film is good and mostly because of him”says an independent distributor. “For a company like ours, it represents an opportunity.”
Some sources say they would be surprised if the likes of Focus Features or Searchlight Pictures, owned by Universal and Disney respectively, bid on Jeanne du Barry: “It looks more like a project suitable for streaming. It’s less risky”says another veteran distributor.
Other potential buyers say their interest may hinge on media reactions at Cannes, monitoring whether the press is willing to focus on the film versus Johnny Depp’s past. In other words, nobody wants to take chances with negative reviews.