The movie marks Depp’s first major return to screens since 2020
As Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard tumble towards a conclusion in their very public defamation lawsuit, Depp is set to soon begin filming his first major role since being axed from the Fantastic Beasts franchise.
After the court heard a string of troubling testimonies that ranged from poop in the bed to drugging friends, Heard, 36, is set to take the stand in the coming days. While the Aquaman star has seen a considerable amount of pushback on her inclusion in its superhero sequel The Lost Kingdom, Depp has lost jobs and not starred in a film since 2020’s Minamata.
However things are seemingly due to change for the 58-year-old Hollywood veteran, who is set to star as French king Louis XV in director Maïwenn’s new film Jeanne Du Barry which will be centred around the controversial French ruler.
While the full storyline is yet to be revealed, we do know that the French period drama will star its director Maïwenn who will portray Jeanne Bécu – a woman who rises up from a life of poverty to eventually find herself as the king’s unlikely mistress.
The project will be produced by Why Not Productions, which is helmed by Pascal Caucheteux and Gregoire Sorlat and while it’s yet to be confirmed, it’s believed the movie will be entirely in French.
According to Variety, filming is set to begin this summer at the Versailles Palace and will last three months.
Who is Louis XV?
Also known as ‘Louis the Beloved’, Louis XV ruled France from 1715 until his death in 1774. According to BBC History, Louis’ “failures contributed to the crisis that brought on the French Revolution.”
While the king was well-loved initially, he was largely despised after running the country into the ground by the time of his death. Louis also engaged in countless wars, was easily influenced by mistresses and eventually lost most of Frances’s colonies to Britain during the Seven Years’ War.
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