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Johnny Depp eyes big screen comeback with  Jeanne du Barry : Watch the exclusive trailer

The French language film marks Depp's first big-screen appearance since his defamation trial against his ex-wife, Amber Heard.

Johnny Depp is making a royal return to the big screen.

The actor, who last appeared onscreen in 2020's Minamata , stars as King Louis XV in the first trailer for the French-language historical drama Jeanne du Barry , written, directed, and produced by his costar, the mononymous French filmmaker Maïwenn . The trailer, premiering exclusively with Entertainment Weekly, offers the first extended look at the period piece, which has been gestating with its director for nearly 20 years.

"I discovered the character in 2006 thanks to the film Marie Antoinette by Sofia Coppola," Maïwenn previously told Harper's Bazaar . "She was played by Asia Argento. As soon as she appeared on screen, I was captivated. I only wanted to stay with her."

Stephanie Branchu

The filmmaker has been dreaming of bringing Jeanne's story to life ever since. The real Jeanne du Barry was the illegitimate daughter of a common seamstress who used her intelligence and sexuality to rise within the ranks of high society, eventually becoming the favored courtesan of King Loius XV. While she was far from the monarch's only lover, Jeanne's low birth and refusal to conform to royal tradition scandalized the court at Versailles and earned her many powerful enemies.

The film marks Depp's first appearance onscreen since he won his highly publicized defamation suit against his ex-wife, Amber Heard . Still, Depp has insisted the role does not signify a comeback. "I keep wondering about the word 'comeback' because I didn't go anywhere," he said when the film premiered at Cannes last year. "The notion of something like that is a bizarre mystery."

While audiences are familiar with seeing Depp in elaborate costumes, embodying the 18th-century French monarch required more than powdered wigs and fancy fracs: Like the rest of the cast, Depp speaks entirely in French throughout the film.

"First of all, even if I speak a little French, to get as close as possible to 18th-century French, I worked with a coach who was extremely effective when it came to pronunciation, for example," Depp said of the challenge. "My goal was to detach myself as much as possible from this question so that the words would come out of my mouth in the most natural way possible and I could focus on acting and on my fellow actors."

Jeanne du Barry opens in select theaters in the U.S. and Canada beginning May 2. The screenings will open with an exclusive taped interview in which Depp discusses the film. You can click here for more information on the film and to purchase tickets.

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Jeanne du Barry review – entertaining spectacle with Johnny Depp’s purring and peculiar royal dandy

Louis XV’s infatuation with a sexy, smart courtesan played by Maïwenn – who also writes and directs – is a preposterous confection with preening Depp’s king overshadowing her story

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The rosebud lips of Johnny Depp in this film are pursed in a strange expression of irony, stupefied entitlement and droll, martyred awareness of the absurdity of which his royal person is the centre: a human candle starting to melt. He plays Louis XV in the decadent court of pre-revolutionary Versailles, purring his lines in French and playing him as the ageing, slow-moving dandy – though Rip Torn was sexier in the same role in Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette.

Depp might actually have been better cast as the lead: Madame Jeanne du Barry, the low-born and entrancingly sensual mistress and royal favourite with whom the king was scandalously infatuated at court, permitting her all manner of familiarities and intimacies. Jeanne is in fact played by the movie’s director, Maïwenn , who has written the screenplay with Teddy Lussi-Modeste and Nicolas Livecchi.

Mme du Barry is supposed to be a rebel, although apart from causing some flutter among the courtiers with her gender-dissident clothes, and of course by simply existing, she never seriously challenges anything about court life at all. (Like Coppola’s Marie Antoinette , incidentally, this film finishes well before the guillotine finale.) It is a preposterous confection of a movie, like one of the rich sweetmeats being languidly nibbled at court, but very moreish, nonetheless. It is handsomely furnished and costumed with blue-chip character actors in the supporting roles and some wonderful locations and interiors at the Palace of Versailles itself.

Maïwenn plays Jeanne as a sexy, smart courtesan who reads books in the bath (did people in those days really bathe wearing a négligé?). Her first important conquest is the Comte du Barry, a fawning sybarite played by Melvil Poupaud, to whose sweet-natured and bookish son Adolphe she takes a platonic shine, tutoring him in philosophy and poetry. Du Barry sees the obvious social advantage in getting his mistress introduced at court to the king, who is now a widower, and while making a stately procession past an array of bowing flunkies at Versailles, Louis is struck by Jeanne’s beauty. He is impressed by the fearless, and yet somehow satirical way she meets his gaze, and curtsies in the way demonstrated by the Duchess of Sussex in the Netflix docuseries .

Having been subject to a gruesome gynaecological inspection by the royal doctors, Jeanne is admitted to the kingly presence à deux; things proceed satisfactorily enough (although we are spared a sex scene) and soon they are gigglingly inseparable. This infuriates all the pompous stuffed chemises thereabouts – especially the king’s grownup daughters with the late queen, who are to be the ugly sisters to Jeanne’s Cinderella. But a problem arrives when the Dauphin (Diego Le Fur), later to be Louis XVI, makes his choice of bride: the comely Autrichienne Marie Antoinette (Pauline Pollman), who declines to acknowledge Jeanne at court, perhaps nettled by Jeanne’s wearing white to upstage her at Versailles. With the decline of the king’s health, Jeanne’s powerbase dwindles and calamity looms.

The essential silliness of the film is part of its watchability, though perhaps Maïwenn is never quite sure how to handle Depp. Without this spectacular casting – although Depp is certainly good enough for it not to be simply stunt casting – Louis XV would just be an unsexy old guy, the royal sugar daddy, and much more emphasis would be placed on Jeanne’s political strategising. The presence of the preening Depp always insists on more than that – but Louis and Jeanne are not entirely credible as a love story, perhaps because of the cynicism in which they are both complicit and perhaps because the performances are a little opaque. It’s an entertaining spectacle, only partly aware of its own vanity.

• Jeanne du Barry screened at the Cannes film festival and is in UK and Irish cinemas from 19 April.

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The life of Jeanne Bécu who was born as the illegitimate daughter of an impoverished seamstress in 1743 and went on to rise through the Court of Louis XV to become his last official mistress... Read all The life of Jeanne Bécu who was born as the illegitimate daughter of an impoverished seamstress in 1743 and went on to rise through the Court of Louis XV to become his last official mistress. The life of Jeanne Bécu who was born as the illegitimate daughter of an impoverished seamstress in 1743 and went on to rise through the Court of Louis XV to become his last official mistress.

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• Trivia When director Maïwenn approached Johnny Depp for the role of King Louis XV, Depp asked her if she was sure about casting an American for a French king. Maiwenn assured him she was sure. Depp is an American actor born in Owensboro, Kentucky. For their first meeting, Depp and Maiwenn conversed entirely in French which went on for hours.
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Jeanne du Barry Review: Johnny Depp Shines at Cannes 2023

By Tudor Leonte

Selected to open the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, Maïwenn’s film Jeanne du Barry takes a bold and daring approach in recounting the life and tumultuous journey of Jeanne Vaubernier, the court favorite of French King Louis XV ( Johnny Depp ). Driven by her ambition to escape poverty, Jeanne employs her charms to captivate influential men, ultimately catching the attention of the King himself. The film beautifully portrays their love-at-first-sight encounter, rekindling Louis XV’s zest for life and leading to the controversial decision to make Jeanne his official favorite. The ensuing scandal highlights the prejudices and societal expectations of the time, with Jeanne’s presence at Court causing a stir among the aristocracy.

Depp is the most notable presence in Jeanne du Barry, returning to the big screen after a three-year hiatus following a highly publicized trial involving his ex-wife Amber Heard. Depp goes out of his comfort zone to act and speak in French, and while it’s true that his lines are scarce, he does sound authentic even to the Francophone ears. The 57-year-old actor shows no signs of ring rust. He puts on a classical Depp performance, proving once more than acting goes beyond simply uttering words but also involves facial expressions, eye movement, and body presence. Still, Pirates of the Caribbean fans might see some resemblance between Jeanne du Barry’s Louis XV and Jack Sparrow acting as a judge in Stranger Tides. 

In Jeanne du Barry, Maïwenn directs, writes, and acts as the titular heroine, a sign that she cares greatly about this project. The film portrays Jeanne as a cunning woman navigating a world dominated by powerful men, fearlessly breaking societal norms and forging her path. This aspect of the film reflects Maïwenn’s audacity and willingness to challenge conventions at Cannes and elsewhere. One cannot overlook the controversy surrounding the director herself. The artist’s troubled relationship with the press, particularly the incident involving an alleged assault on a journalist, casts a shadow on the film’s reception. However, it is important to separate the artist from the art and evaluate the movie on its own merits.

Unfortunately, the film fails to provide a comprehensive understanding of why Jeanne becomes so indispensable to King Louis XV. While her charms and allure are evident, the movie fails to delve deeper into her exceptional qualities, reducing her character to a beautiful woman who reads books and knows unusual words. This oversight leaves a gap in portraying Jeanne’s significance and undermines the film’s exploration of her rise to power. Another of the film’s shortcomings lies in its narrative structure. The stylistic choice to rely on time jumps creates a disjointed experience, with the movie resembling a collage of vignettes that do not always seamlessly connect. This approach hampers the audience’s immersion in the story, preventing an all-around presentation of Jeanne’s character and motivations.

In conclusion, Jeanne du Barry is a film that evokes mixed reactions. Sure, it showcases aspects of the director’s boldness, and the casting is spot-on mainly. Besides Depp, it’s worth mentioning Benjamin Lavernhe’s La Borde and India Hair’s Adélaïde, among other performances. Still, the movie fails to deliver a compelling exploration of its protagonist’s significance. Most of all, it leaves much to the imagination, which is entirely unexpected, considering the protagonist is a courtesan. 

SCORE : 6/10

As ComingSoon’s  review policy  explains, a score of 6 equates to “Decent.” It fails to reach its full potential and is a run-of-the-mill experience.

When I'm not feasting my eyes on the Lord of the Rings trilogy, I'm probably watching some MMA fights. Dreaming of the United States. Sic Parvis Magna. 

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Jeanne du Barry reviews: Critics suggest French film is not quite the comeback Johnny Depp was hoping for

‘depp may be the actor least suited – after hulk hogan – to playing an ancien régime monarch,’ wrote one critic, article bookmarked.

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The first reviews are in for Johnny Depp ’s new movie Jeanne du Barry following its Cannes Film Festival premiere on Tuesday (16 May).

The French -language film directed by Maïwenn was controversially chosen to open the festival this year.

The biographical movie follows the working-class Madame du Barry (played by Maïwenn) on her quest to climb the social ladder of 18th-century France . Depp plays King Louis XV who invites Jeanne to Versailles , much to the horror of the French court.

Since his failed 2018 lawsuit against The Sun – in which a judge later ruled that the tabloid’s description of him as a “wife beater” was “substantially true” – Depp has failed to land a role in a major US film.

Jeanne du Barry is seen by some as a comeback of sorts after the actor’s 2022 lawsuit victory over his ex-wife, Amber Heard. The jury found that Heard had defamed Depp by implying he had abused her in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed.

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However, reviews for Maïwenn’s film have been middling at best with critics suggesting that it might not quite be the triumphant return Depp was hoping for.

Find a roundup of the reviews below.

The Telegraph – two stars

“Depp may be the actor least suited – after Hulk Hogan – to playing an ancien régime monarch,” writes Robbie Collins.

“True, his French is not too shabby, but his regal gravitas is nonexistent, and he only truly looks at home in the role during occasional bouts of clowning, which hardly help sell his casting as an inspired choice...

“... Depp is hardly the first Hollywood outcast to find work in Europe, but it would be a stretch to say this feels like the first spark of a glorious comeback.”

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Evening Standard – two stars

“You can’t help but think of Depp, that gilded youth whose looks may have waned but whose charm here is undimmed,” writes Jo-Ann Titmarsh.

“After films such as Mortdecai and the Pirates franchise, it is great to see Depp in subtle and quiet mode – more Colonel Joll of Waiting for the Barbarians and less Jack Sparrow – and in French to boot. Still, this offers little to the already replete genre of costume dramas set in the waning years of monarchic dynasties, and despite all of Jeanne’s cavorting in free-spirited fashion, it doesn’t offer a new take on a historical period.”

The Times – three stars

“Depp produces a forlorn character of sadness and quiet regret, mostly from tiny looks and disappointed grimaces. Yes, when he speaks, he speaks French throughout. And yes, despite some apparently assiduous work with a dialect coach, he speaks French like an American speaking French,” Kevin Maher writes.

Maher adds that Jeanne du Barry is “very occasionally too tasteful for its own good. But it’s also mature and grounded, and represents probably the best recovery vehicle that Depp is going to get.”

The Guardian – three stars

“The essential silliness of the film is part of its watchability, though perhaps Maïwenn is never quite sure how to handle Depp. Without this spectacular casting – although Depp is certainly good enough for it not to be simply stunt casting – Louis XV would just be an unsexy old guy, the royal sugar daddy, and much more emphasis would be placed on Jeanne’s political strategising,” writes Peter Bradshaw.

“It’s an entertaining spectacle, only partly aware of its own vanity.”

IndieWire – B-

“Though performing wholly in French and given ample screen time, the American star leaves a strangely scant impression, offering a dim and muted turn that plays off his wider reputation in often fascinating ways,” Ben Croll writes.

The Hollywood Reporter

“Even the casting – some would say stunt casting – of Johnny Depp as the king offers a few early thrills and then mostly yawns, with Depp dishing out what feels like a total of a dozen lines in respectable French, while otherwise remaining mute. His performance isn’t bad, and neither is Maïwenn’s in the lead role. But the two of them, like the movie, rarely get our pulse racing,” Jordan Mintzer writes.

“With all the recent controversy surrounding Depp, not to mention Maïwenn herself, the result of their collaboration is a handsome period piece that feels both flat and shallow, and certainly far from any scandale .”

Jeanne du Barry does not yet have a UK release date.

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Screen Rant

Jeanne du barry trailer: johnny depp's comeback movie teases scandalous french affair.

A new trailer for Johnny Depp and Maïwenn's Jeanne Du Barry has been released, teasing a scandalous affair and Depp's anticipated return to film.

• Jeanne du Barry features Johnny Depp as Louis XV in a scandalous period drama set in 18th century France.
• The film has received mixed reviews, with critics praising Depp's performance and the lavish costumes and visuals.
• Despite initial critical reception, Jeanne du Barry has been a success at the box office in France, hinting at Depp's comeback.

A new trailer for Johnny Depp’s comeback film, Jeanne du Barry , is now live. Directed by Maïwenn, Jeanne du Barry is a period piece that takes place in France in the 18th century and depicts the affair between the titular character and King Louis XV. Depp plays Louis XV and Maïwenn plays the titular role, and the rest of the cast consists of stars like Pascal Greggory, Pierre Richard, Benjamin Lavernhe, India Hair, and Pauline Pollmann as Marie Antoinette. The period movie is expected to be released in the U.S. on May 2.

A new trailer for Maïwenn and Johnny Depp’s Jeanne du Barry has been released by Vertical . Watch the trailer below:

It teases the scandalous relationship between Barry and King Louis XV , featuring lavish costumes and sun-kissed visuals. The trailer also shows the public reaction to the romance and schemes by those in the higher class to end it.

Is Jeanne Du Barry A Worthy Comeback For Johnny Depp?

Jeanne du barry has already released in france with a decent box office collection..

However, the French period drama, at the time of this writing, sports a 49% from critics on review-aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes.

Jeanne du Barry had its debut at the Cannes Film Festival and has already garnered its first wave of reviews and buzz, including a seven-minute standing ovation at Cannes. However, the French period drama, at the time of this writing, sports a 49% from critics on review-aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes . While the film’s script — co-written by Maïwenn, Teddy Lussi-Modeste, and Nicolas Livecchi — seems to falter in the eyes of critics, Depp’s performance and the film’s costumes and visuals are applauded.

Based on the real-life relationship between Louis XV and Madame du Barry, the film focuses on the titular character, the illegitimate daughter of an impoverished seamstress and her meteoric rise through Louis XV’s court. Shunned by many, including Marie Antoinette, the sheer presence of Barry shook many, and this should translate to an intriguing drama accompanied by the usual bells and whistles associated with period pieces.

Every Johnny Depp Movie Ranked From Worst to Best

Jeanne du Barry marks Depp’s highly anticipated return to the silver screen. This comeback arrives after Depp was dropped from the Fantastic Beasts franchise by Warner Bros. and his widely publicized legal strife with ex-wife Amber Heard. While Jeanne du Barry ’s reviews so far don’t look so promising, the film’s box office gross in France does, as it’s grossed almost six million dollars in the country alone. This, Depp’s celebrated performance, and the biopic’s costume design hint that Jeanne du Barry is a solid comeback for Depp.

Jeanne du Barry has already grossed $13.6 million so far, even though it has yet to be released in the United States.

Source: Vertical

Jeanne du Barry

Jeanne du Barry is a historical drama that tells the story of the titular character who, on her journey out of the clutches of poverty, catches the eye of King Louis XV. Concealing her identity from him, Jeanne earns his favor, and the two fall in love, but upon moving to Versailles to deepen their relationship, scandal strikes France's court.

Cannes Gave Johnny Depp a Comeback Shot. Then Came the Press Conference

By David Fear

Welcome to Cannes , where a period drama about an 18th-century courtesan has somehow become the single most scandalous thing to happen to the French film fest in a decade. It’s not because Jeanne du Barry, the writer-director-star Maïwenn’s biopic of the ex-prostitute who became the lover of King Louis XV, angered high society with her presence at the court of Versailles, and was executed during the French Revolution, is designed to offend the delicate sensibilities of the bourgeois. Although it was inspired by Sophia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, this retelling of Du Barry’s royal romance, rise, and fall could not be a more stock historical drama, even with its A Putain’s Progress -style storyline. In all respects but one, it could not be a safer, more Catholic choice to kick off the world’s most significant celebration of le cinéma.

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Speaking of accepted: The finished film was then chosen to kick off the 2023 edition of Cannes, with festival director Thierry Frémaux defending the inclusion this past April by saying , “I don’t see [it] as a controversial choice at all … we only know one thing, it’s the justice system, and I think he won the legal case.” This laissez-faire attitude was not shared by everyone, and by the time of the festival’s opening press conference this past Monday, Frémaux declared , “I don’t know about the image of Johnny Depp in the U.S. … If there’s one person in this world who didn’t find the least interest in this very publicized trial, it’s me. I don’t know what it’s about. I also care about Johnny Depp as an actor.”

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But the weakest link is, in fact, Depp himself — he’s a walking waxwork statue here, a movie star who’s somehow reduced to being a meat puppet in old-fashioned dandy-fop cosplay. It’s not just that he may have aged less gracefully than others; Depp is not a 22-year-old actor, and it seems ridiculous to speculate about any reasons for his appearance. What strikes you when you watch him in Jeanne du Barry is that the camera, which once swooned whenever he stepped in front of it, doesn’t seem to love Johnny Depp anymore. Every ounce of his screen presence, his charisma, that singular magical factor that always made you unable to look away from him, no matter what the role or the film — it feels like it’s just been sucked away. His King Louis shuffles from scene to scene, in what is supposed to be an underplayed performance that registers as inert. Even when he’s mugging at Jeanne through a two-way mirror while receiving guests, there still feels like there’s no life happening up there. You can’t even call what he’s doing a compelling car wreck. You’d have to wait for the press conference the next day for that.

“Did I feel a boycott?” Depp replied. “You have to not have a pulse to feel this isn’t happening. Of course when you’re asked to resign from a film because of … [ long pause ] something which is merely a bunch of vowels and consonants in the air. I don’t think about Hollywood. I don’t feel much further need for Hollywood.”

He continued: “It’s a very strange, very funny time when [ long pause ] everyone would love to be themselves. But they can’t because … they must fall in line with the person in front of them. If you want to follow that line, be my guest. I’ll be on the other side of whatever that is.”

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Finally, asked by an American reporter what Depp would say to anyone who didn’t think he should have come to Cannes, the actor dropped what may be the most odd metaphor ever to be uttered, in any language, at a film festival press conference. “Imagine that they said to me, I cannot go to McDonald’s [ long pause ] … for life [ long pause ] … because somewhere [ long pause ] if you got them all in one room, 39 people watched me eat a Big Mac on a loop. Who are they? Why do they care? Some species [ long pause ] … a tower of mashed potatoes covered in light from a computer screen?”

There were a few more questions, but that was essentially that. Jeanne du Barry may end up being a footnote in the history of Cannes. This press conference may go down as the unforgettable equivalent of watching the Hindenburg crash into the Palais.

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‘jeanne du barry,’ starring johnny depp, to open cannes film festival.

Depp plays King Louis XV in the period drama — co-financed by Saudi Arabia — from French multihyphenate Maïwenn.

By Alex Ritman

Alex Ritman

U.K. Correspondent

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In what will no doubt provoke some considerable noise, Johnny Depp ‘s latest film —  Jeanne du Barry — is set to open the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.

The film, directed by Maïwenn, will have its world premiere in the Palais on May 16.

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The film follows Jeanne Vaubernier, a young working-class woman hungry for culture and pleasure, who uses her intelligence and allure to climb the rungs of the social ladder one by one. She becomes the favorite of King Louis XV (Depp) who, unaware of her status as a courtesan, regains through her his appetite for life. They fall madly in love. Against all propriety and etiquette, Jeanne moves to Versailles, where her arrival scandalizes the court.

The decision to give Depp the Cannes opening night slot will likely raise a number of eyebrows, his red carpet appearance on the Croisette coming less than a year after the end of his hugely contentious and very public legal dispute with Amber Heard.

In what could well spark additional debate, the film also comes with a historic first, being the first Cannes opener to be funded by Saudi Arabia, having landed postproduction financing from the Red Sea Film Festival.

The film is being produced by Why Not Production Company’s Pascal Caucheteux and Grégoire Sorlat, Depp’s production company IN.2, La Petite Reine and France Télévisions. The Red Sea Film Festival serve as executive producers, with Goodfellas (formerly Wild Bunch International ) handling world sales.

More to come…

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Johnny Depp Cuts a Royal Figure in New 'Jeanne du Barry' Trailer

The movie arrives in theatres this May.

The Big Picture

• French historical drama Jeanne du Barry , starring Johnny Depp and Maïwenn, garnered praise at Cannes Film Festival.
• The film follows the scandalous affair between King Louis XV and Jeanne du Barry, set in 1700s France.
• The film will arrive in U.S. theaters this May.

French historical drama Jeanne du Barry starring Johnny Depp and Maïwenn garnered much critical acclaim upon its debut at last year’s Cannes Film Festival , it went on to leave a mark on the audience as well with its subsequent release in France . The film is now gearing up for a US and Canadian release and has unveiled a new trailer.

The trailer introduces Depp as the King of France Louis XV and sees Maïwenn’s Jeanne du Barry meeting him the first time at his court in Versailles. The royal scandal is further deepened thanks to courtiers and the King's family as Louis XV and Jeanne fall madly in love against all propriety and etiquette. The trailer showcases the exquisite production design, period-accurate costumes and some compelling performances giving us the best look at the film yet.

What’s ‘Jeanne du Barry’ About?

Jeanne du Barry, an ambitious working-class young woman was born to a seamstress. Despite her status, she was hungry for culture and pleasure and uses her intelligence and allure to rise step by step to the highest levels of society, eventually reaching the court of Versailles . A royal scandal breaks when an affair begins between King Louis XV and Jeanne du Barry, glimpses of which we see in the trailers as well.

Set in 1768 France, the film is billed as “based on an untold true story,” and will certainly give us a different insight into the lives of its characters. Along with starring in the feature, Maïwenn also directs from a script she co-wrote with Teddy Lussi-Modeste and Nicolas Livecchi. The movie has some compelling performances and marks Depp’s return to the big screen after a long time. It’ll be a treat for his fans to see him as the French Emperor in this period drama.

The ensemble cast of the period drama also includes Benjamin Lavernhe as Jean-Benjamin de La Borde, Pierre Richard as Louis François Armand, Melvil Poupaud as Count Guillaume du Barry, India Hair as Adélaïde de France, Suzanne de Baecque as Victoire de France, Capucine Valmary as Louise de France, Pauline Pollmann as Marie Antoinette, Micha Lescot as Florimond Claude, Laura Le Velly as Sophie de France, and many more.

Jeanne du Barry opens in select theaters in the U.S. and Canada beginning May 2 with an exclusive taped interview in which Depp discusses the film. You can learn more details about the film with our guide here or read our review here . Watch the trailer below:

Jeanne du Barry

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Johnny Depp Explains Why He Feels 'Perversely Lucky' at U.K. Premiere of His Film  Jeanne Du Barry

The actor attended the London premiere of his movie 'Jeanne Du Barry' on Monday

Neil P. Mockford/Getty

Johnny Depp is back on the red carpet to roll out his French film Jeanne Du Barry .

The actor, 60, posed for photos and signed fan autographs at the film's U.K. premiere held at the Curzon Mayfair theater on Monday, April 15. Depp also posed with Maïwenn, his costar and director of the film.

Speaking onstage prior to the screening, Depp said he felt "strangely, oddly, perversely lucky" to have been offered the role of King Louis XV in the film, according to a report from Variety .

"When Maïwenn and I first actually met and talked about the notion of me doing the film and playing Louis XV, the King of France — see that’s when instantly what happens in your brain is you instantly go back to Kentucky, where, like, everything is fried," joked Depp. "So you realize that you’ve come from the bellybutton of nowhere and suddenly you end up playing the King of France."

Depp added, "It made no sense to me; I tried to talk her out of it. But she wasn’t hearing it and she had great courage to take me into her cast."

Jeanne Du Barry, Depp's first movie role after his contentious Virginia trial with ex-wife Amber Heard , had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2023 . It also stars Benjamin Lavernhe, Pierre Richard, Melvil Poupaud and Pascal Greggory.

Dave Benett/WireImage

In a Cannes press conference at the time, Depp joked, "So I thought it was very brave of [Maïwenn] to choose some hillbilly from Kentucky to play Louis XV. Very brave."

He added, "I was instantly up for it, wanted to do it. Just wanted to make sure that I wasn't, I don't know, stepping out of my box and into someone else's. Getting into other people's things, culture, thoughts, weirdness. But I'm glad she persisted and I'm glad I persisted."

The film is about Jeanne Vaubernier, a "working-class woman determined to climb the social ladder, using her charms to escape her impoverished life." Soon, she has a "love at first sight" moment with King Louis XV.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

"Through this ravishing courtesan, the king rediscovers his appetite for life and feels he can no longer live without her. Making Jeanne his last official mistress, scandal erupts as no one at Court will accept a girl from the streets into their rarified world," the synopsis adds.

Jeanne Du Barry will be released in the U.S. in over 500 theaters nationwide beginning May 2 from Fathom Events.

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Speaking at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023, Johnny Depp discusses his work in director Maïwenn’s French language film “‘Jeanne du Barry” which is released in the U.K. this week. (April 16)

Depp returns to big screen with ‘Jeanne du Barry’

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Upcoming Johnny Depp Movies: What The Actor Has Coming Up

Plenty to be excited for here.

Jeanne Du Barry (2024)

Modi (director) (tba), recent johnny depp releases.

The idea of the "movie star" has been dwindling over the years, as actors have become less and less of a draw to bring people into the theaters. But if there is anyone who is still capable of creating headlines, it's Johnny Depp . The A-list actor became memorable for the slightly off-kilter characters he's portrayed on screen, from Edward Scissorhands to his most famous role as Captain Jack Sparrow. Depp likes being quirky and, for better or worse, it's made him one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood.

True, we could debate over the various peaks and valleys his career has experienced over the years, but it can't be argued that Depp doesn't leave his mark. The Pirates of the Caribbean actor knows how to keep himself busy. He has been in some of the best roles out there , and is only going to continue to do so, despite being absent from film and television for a few years following his trial with Amber Heard . Here is what the star has coming up.  

His first post-trial movie, Jeanne du Barry is all about a young woman who is trying to climb the ranks of her social sphere, using her mind and sexuality.

Johnny Depp plays King Louis XV, the king that she has her eyes set on. The film premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival , and while the reviews for the actual movie have been mixed from attendees at the festival, Johnny Depp’s performance in the movie had been critically praised. He even received a several-minute standing ovation from the crowd. 

When updating this in March 2024, Jeanne du Barry is finally getting a US release date! The Hollywood Reporter said that the film will be opening in 500 theaters beginning on May 2, 2024. Vertical has landed the domestic rights, so that means it won’t be long before US audiences will finally be able to see it. 

While this isn’t Johnny Depp acting, he stepped into the director’s chair for the first time in twenty-five years, according to Deadline , when he directed Modi. The film is a biographical feature about the life of Amedeo Modigliani, an Italian artist, and is based on the play by Dannie McIntyre. It’s going to tell the story of the painter and sculptor, and his time in Paris during the early 1900s as well as the legacy he left behind. 

Several actors will appear in the film, including Riccardo Scamarcio, Pierre Niney and one of the most known names in Hollywood, the legendary actor Al Pacino ,, among many other roles. 

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Filming began on the film in September 2023, according to Variety , and in January 2024, Deadline  confirmed that filming had wrapped. The article also featured several behind-the-scenes pictures of Depp directing, as well as the actors.  

A release date is still unknown, but I for one can’t wait to see what Depp has directed because I think it’ll be great. 

Since we’re talking about Johnny Depp, we can also talk about some of his recent releases. In 2019, he released a movie called Waiting for the Barbarians, a war film that also starred Mark Rylance, and Robert Pattinson . 

Depp was also in Minamata, a biographical drama film, in which he starred as W. Eugene Smith, an American photographer who traveled to post-WWII Japan in the 1970s and documented the lives of citizens who were suffering the effects of mercury poisoning and developing Minamata disease. Both films were relatively under the radar movies, but received equally good praise. 

The last big-budget movie that Depp was a part of was when he played Grindelwald in the first two Fantastic Beasts films, but he was replaced by Mads Mikkelsen for the third one.

Depp also had a voice role in the Apple TV+ series, Puffins, an animated children’s series where he voiced the main character. He reprised that role later on in Puffins Impossible, a spinoff of the same show. 

Matt has lived in New Jersey his entire life, but commutes every day to New York City. He graduated from Rowan University and loves Marvel, Nintendo, and going on long hikes and then greatly wishing he was back indoors. Matt has been covering the entertainment industry for over two years and will fight to his dying breath that Hulk and Black Widow make a good couple.

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Gaumont announces development of six-part bio-series on french first lady brigitte macron, johnny depp teases terry gilliam in ‘jeanne du barry’ uk red carpet reunion.

By Melanie Goodfellow , Hannah Abraham

Johnny Depp reunited with director Terry Gilliam on the red carpet of the UK premiere of French filmmaker MaÏwenn’s costume drama Jeanne du Barry on Monday evening.

Depp’s London-based film company INA.2 is gearing up to release the Court of Versailles-set tale across the UK from this Friday, April 19.

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Gilliam, who directed Depp in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009), jokingly ticked Depp off for his late arrival.

He then referred to Depp as the “new Jackie Chan” as the actor enveloped him in a bear hug, seemingly in reference to the fact the star has been working out.

(WATCH) Johnny Depp is greeted by Terry Gilliam as he arrives at UK premiere of ‘Jeanne du Barry’ pic.twitter.com/UU5XpzXXmY — Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) April 15, 2024

Depp had the last word as he jokingly presented Gilliam to the assembled photographers and videographers, declaring “Ladies and gentleman, Mr. Tim Burton.”

The actor also met briefly with aspiring filmmakers from the London branch of the Ghetto Film School, which also has hubs in Los Angeles and New York, before heading into the screening.

Depp was at Monday night’s premiere in the company of Maïwenn, who co-wrote, directed and stars in the historic love story that opened the Cannes Film Festival last year.

RELATED: ‘Jeanne Du Barry’ Cannes Film Festival Premiere Photos: Johnny Depp, Maïwenn, Uma Thurman, Helen Mirren, Michael Douglas & More

Maïwenn plays the titular courtesan opposite Depp in the role of King Louis XV, who falls under her charm and establishes her at the Court of Versailles as his last official mistress.

Depp told Monday night’s audience that he had been surprised when Maïwenn approached him for the role of Louis XV.

“Instantly what happens in your brain is that you go back to Eastern Kentucky … you realize that you come from the ‘ombelico,’ ‘nombril,’ the belly button of nowhere and you’re playing the king of France,” he said.

(WATCH) Johnny Depp introduces 'Jeanne du Barry' during the film's London premiere pic.twitter.com/4suuBGMwWL — Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) April 15, 2024

Maïwenn recounted how Jeanne du Barry was a passion project driven by her fascination with the 18th century heroine and parallels she felt between their lives.

“It’s a movie that I have wanted to make since 2016, and I was obsessed by Jeanne du Barry for many years because she was a feminist before everybody else,” the filmmaker told the audience.

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New johnny depp movie gets theatrical release date.

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CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 17: Johnny Depp attends the "Jeanne du Barry" photocall at the 76th annual ... [+] Cannes film festival at Palais des Festivals on May 17, 2023 in Cannes, France. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images)

Johnny Depp is returning to the big screen four years after the release of his last film.

Vertical Entertainment announced Monday that Depp’s Jeanne du Barry will open in theaters on May 2. Starring alongside Depp in Jeanne du Barry is French film star Maïwenn, who is also directing the film.

In a press release, Vertical Entertainment revealed the synopsis of the period drama:

“Jeanne du Barry follows Jeanne Vaubernier (Maïwenn), a working-class woman determined to climb the social ladder, using her charms to escape her impoverished life. Her lover, the Comte du Barry (Melvil Poupaud), wishes to present her to King Louis XV (Johnny Depp) and orchestrates a meeting through the influential Duke of Richelieu (Pierre Richard).

“The encounter goes far beyond his expectations for it was love at first sight for the King and Jeanne. Through this ravishing courtesan, the king rediscovers his appetite for life and feels he can no longer live without her. Making Jeanne his last official mistress, scandal erupts as no one at Court will accept a girl from the streets into their rarified world.”

Jeanne du Barry made its debut as an Official Selection of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival in May 2023. At a press conference promoting the film (via The Times and Sunday Times ), Depp addressed his absence from films in the past few years and the how the controversies surrounding him affected it.

“I keep wondering about the word ‘comeback’ because I didn’t go anywhere. Matter of fact, I live about 45 minutes away,” Depp told reporters in the South of France. “So maybe people stopped calling out of whatever their fear was at the time, but no I didn’t go nowhere. I’ve been sitting around. So, comeback? [It’s] almost like I’m going to come out and do a tap dance or some sort of spectacular [dance] here on the table and, you know, dance my best for you guys and hope that you approve.”

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In addition, Depp said that he doesn’t feel boycotted by Hollywood because he doesn’t think about it.

“I don’t have much further need for Hollywood myself. I don’t know how you guys feel,” Depp told reporters. “But I feel it’s a very strange, funny time where everybody would love to be able to be themselves but they can’t because they must fall in line with the person in front of them. [If] you want to live that kind of life, I wish you the best.”

Depp’s Last Film Role Was In 2020’s Indie Release ‘Minamata’

Johnny Depp — whose acting career had been sidelined in the last few years amid civil defamation proceedings with his ex-wife Amber Heard — last appeared in the 2020 indie drama Minamata . In the film, Depp played real-life war photojournalist W. Eugene Smith.

Depp has found other creative outlets between films, including concert tours with his rock band Hollywood Vampires , which he co-founded in 2012 with rock legends Alice Cooper and Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry. In addition to playing live gigs, the band has released two studio albums — Hollywood Vampires in 2015 and Rise in 2019 — as well as a concert album Live in Rio in 2023.

The Hollywood Vampires’ debut album in 2012 included covers of such hard rock classics as Whole Lotta Love , My Generation and School’s Out/Another Brick in the Wall . In addition, several legendary musicians guest appearances on the album including Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, Slash, Robbie Krieger and Dave Grohl.

While Depp has taken a break from movies, he has done voice acting work for the small screen in the past few years. Depp voiced Johnny Puff in Puffins — a series of animated shorts — from 2020-2021 and reprised the role for the series Puffins Impossible from 2021-2022. Depp’s character also appears in the 2024 animated feature Johnny Puff: Secret Mission , but the movie is still awaiting a U.S. release date.

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Johnny Depp undergoes dramatic makeover: ‘Cleaner living’

The Pirates of the Caribbean actor stepped out in London to promote his new film, sporting a dramatically different look.

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Johnny Depp has stepped out in the UK for the premiere of his latest film after having undergone a dramatic makeover.

The Pirates of the Caribbea n star is known for his trademark rock n’n roll look, which generally includes scruffy hair, vintage clothing and accessories, and black eyeliner.

However, the actor was much more dapper and clean-cut in a slim-fitting grey Dior suit as he arrived at the low-key screening of his film, Jeanne du Barry , in London on Monday night.

Depp, who turns 61 in June, also appeared to have recently lost a significant amount of weight – which, according to friends, is the result of a “cleaner” lifestyle.

“He’s been living in the UK while editing Modi (a film about the Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani) and has been living a cleaner lifestyle than at times in the past,” a source told the Daily Mail , in reference to Depp’s widely-reported history of drug and alcohol use.

Early last year, Depp opened up about his quieter life in southwest England in the wake of his high-profile defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard.

In a feature for the Somerset Life magazine, the actor showed off the grounds of his 850-acre Somerset estate, which he bought in 2014 for $23.9 million in 2014.

The stunning property features a dairy farm along with a 19th century-style mansion with 12 bedrooms and eight bathrooms.

“I just love places with character,” Depp told the April 2023 issue of the magazine.

“I have various houses in various places and they all mean something special. I don’t have them just to say I own them, I have them for use and because they are a bit special.”

Depp also revealed that his low-key new lifestyle suited his “shy” personality.

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“I just love places with character. British people are cool and will greet you as if you are a neighbour — without going over the top. I like going to places, seeing things and meeting people — but I’m not the great extrovert that people think,” he admitted.

“In truth, I’m quite a shy person. That’s one of the great things about Britain, and especially Somerset. I can just be me — and that’s nice.

“I can go into shops without being surrounded by people wanting selfies. I don’t mind that up to a point, but sometimes it gets a little too crowded.”

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Johnny Depp & Maïwenn Attend UK Premiere of Their New Movie 'Jeanne du Barry'

Johnny Depp is back on the red carpet.

The 60-year-old actor joined co-star and director Maïwenn at the UK premiere of their new movie Jeanne du Barry on Monday (April 15) held at the Curzon Theater in London, England.

PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Johnny Depp

While at the premiere, Johnny opened up about being offered the role of French King Louis XV.

“I feel very lucky to have been [offered the role] – strangely, oddly, perversely lucky,” Johnny said, via Variety . “Because when Maïwenn and I first actually met and talked about the notion of me doing the film and playing Louis XV, the King of France — see that’s when instantly what happens in your brain is you instantly go back to Kentucky, where, like, everything is fried. So you realize that you’ve come from the bellybutton of nowhere and suddenly you end up playing the King of France.”

Keep reading to find out more… “It made no sense to me, I tried to talk her out of it,” Johnny continued. “But she wasn’t hearing it and she had great courage to take me into her cast. Whatever we did, whatever we experienced I think and I hope you’ll find it was well worth the agony of this kid trying to make a film for that length of time.”

The movie stars follows King Louis XV’s relationship with Jeanne Vaubernier ( Maïwenn ), a working-class woman who rises to the level of the king’s mistress.

Jeanne du Barry will be released in theaters in the United States on May 2.

If you missed it, a popular actress recently addressed rumors that she and Johnny were working on a new movie together.

Click through the gallery for 10+ pictures of Johnny Depp and Maïwenn at the premiere…

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Johnny Depp says he tried to talk film director out of casting him

Hollywood actor Johnny Depp has said he tried to talk the director of his latest film out of casting him as King Louis XV.

The Hollywood star returned to the red carpet in London on Monday night for the UK premiere of his first feature film since the conclusion of his high-profile defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard .

Historical drama Jeanne Du Barry, in which Depp, 60, stars as King Louis XV, received a seven-minute standing ovation when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2023.

The film follows the life of Jeanne, played by French actress Maiwenn, a working-class woman who uses her intelligence and allure to climb the social hierarchy, eventually landing on the radar of France’s King Louis XV.

The project, which was also co-written and directed by Maiwenn, is Depp’s first major onscreen appearance since the defamation case.

Speaking on stage at the premiere, the actor, from Owensboro, Kentucky, told the audience he was surprised when he was approached for the role.

He said: “Instantly what happens in your brain is that you go back to eastern Kentucky … you realise that you come from the ‘ombelico’, ‘nombril’, the belly button of nowhere and you’re playing the king of France,” according to Hollywood trade publication Deadline.

“It made no sense to me, I tried to talk her out of it. She wasn’t hearing it, and she had great courage to take me into her cast.”

In 2022 Depp successfully sued his former partner over a 2018 article she wrote for The Washington Post about her experiences as a survivor of domestic abuse, which his lawyers said falsely accused him of being an abuser.

It followed a damning ruling by the High Court in London in 2020 that found he assaulted Heard and left her in “fear for her life”.

On Monday night the Oscar-nominated actor reunited with British director Terry Gilliam , 83, who directed Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, which starred Depp as main character Raoul Duke.

In clips shared on social media, Depp jokingly presents Gilliam to the photographers and videographers gathered around as director Tim Burton , whom Depp has worked with on films including 1990’s Edward Scissorhands and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street in 2007.

Gilliam, who is known for being a part of the original Monty Python crew, also directed Depp in his 2009 film The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus.

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Riley Keough and Lily Gladstone Anchor Hulu’s Heartbreaking Murder Mystery ‘Under the Bridge’: TV Review

By Aramide Tinubu

Aramide Tinubu

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In Hulu ’s dark, gripping “ Under the Bridge ,” adapted for television by Quinn Shephard and based on Rebecca Godfrey’s 2005 nonfiction account of the same name, the audience finds itself in the picturesque community of Victoria, British Columbia. After attending a party with her “friends” near the infamous Craigflower Bridge, 14-year-old Reena Virk (Vritika Gupta) never returns home. Much more than a retelling of a horrific true crime, “Under the Bridge” is a show about longing, otherness, race and the frailties of community. The series was greenlit in 2022, a week before Godfrey’s death at 54 from lung cancer.

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Shephard and the series’ writers are careful not to spotlight the violence visually. Instead, the brutality of what’s done to Reena is recounted through the viewpoints of the teens who were present in her last moments. Moreover, as Rebecca struggles to write her book — now devoted to Reena and the teens involved in her death — she realizes the story she is searching for isn’t there. Instead, in facing the truth about those who perpetrated Reena’s death, she is forced to confront the errors of her past and how they inform the present.

Sharp and devastating, with a ’90s hip-hop soundtrack laced throughout, “Under the Bridge” is an absorbing examination of cruelty, why some people receive empathy over others and how our own biases can prevent us from recognizing the truth. The series is a reminder of the anguish of rejection for teens, especially girls — and how that can manifest into something grotesque. Without proper guidance or a listening ear, the torment they inflict upon one another seems, in many ways, inevitable.

The first two episodes of “Under the Bridge” premiere April 17 on Hulu with new episodes dropping weekly on Wednesdays.

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