Johnny depp LOVE!!!!!

Depp Delighted With Daughter's Recovery2 November 2007 (WENN) Johnny Depp's life is full of "mini-celebrations" now his eight-year-old daughter Lily-rose has been given the all-clear after her health scare earlier this year. The little girl was hospitalized in London, where she received treatment for an undisclosed ailment as her father started work on movie musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street. Depp still isn't going into details about his daughter's illness, but he admits he can't be thankful enough that she pulled through. He tells Entertainment Weekly magazine, "Now every single millisecond is a mini-celebration. Every time we get to breathe in and exhale is a huge victory. She pulled through beautifully, perfectly, with no lasting anything." And Depp will always be grateful to director pal Tim Burton and the cast and crew of Sweeney Todd for their support. He adds, "Knowing that those people, Tim and the crew, shut down and stood by and waited... I didn't know if I was coming back. I remember talking with Tim, saying, `Maybe you need to recast.'" Lily-Rose is Depp's daughter by long-time girlfriend Vanessa Paradis. The couple also has a son, Jack, who is five.
Stylish Stars Make GQ List21 September 2007 (WENN) Italian movie star Marcello Mastroianni, David Bowie, Steve McQueen, Bob Dylan and George Clooney have been named among the 50 Most Stylish Men in the Past 50 Years by men's magazine GQ. Elvis Presley, Bryan Ferry, Paul Newman, Johnny Depp, Miles Davis, Cary Grant, Marlon Brando, Robert Redford, Al Pacino, Warren Beatty and Sean Connery also make the list. A few surprises among the stylish 50 include filmmaker Woody Allen, Beck, punk icons The Ramones and British rocker Pete Doherty.
Diaz, Beyonce, Holmes & Cruz Top Best Dressed List13 September 2007 (WENN) Cameron Diaz, Beyonce Knowles, Katie Holmes and Penelope Cruz have all landed on People magazine's coveted Best Dressed List, while Bond girl Eva Green earns her the publication's Worst Dressed dishonor. Jessica Biel, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Lopez, Reese Witherspoon, Gwen Stefani and Ali Larter complete the Best Dressed top 10, while David Beckham, Johnny Depp, Terrence Howard, Brad Pitt and George Clooney set the male style standard. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale and parents-to-be Halle Berry and Gabriel Aubry top the magazine's Best Dressed Couples list.
Burton Honored in Venice7 September 2007 (WENN) Director Tim Burton has been honored with a lifetime achievement award at the Venice Film Festival for his groundbreaking filmmaking. The Edward Scissorhands moviemaker was hailed by the Italian festival judges on Wednesday as "one of America's bravest, most visionary and innovative filmmakers" and was presented with the coveted Golden Lion accolade by frequent collaborator, Johnny Depp. Speaking at the annual film event, Burton said, "I'm very honored. It means a lot to me. Hopefully it just inspires me to keep going." Wednesday's proceedings at the festival were also dubbed "Tim Burton Day" in the star's honor as audiences were treated to the world premiere of the 3D version of Burton's 1993 hit, The Nightmare Before Christmas.
'Pirates' and 'High School Musical 2' Triumph at Teen Choice Awards28 August 2007 (WENN) Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End triumphed at the annual Teen Choice awards - winning four top prizes including three individual awards for stars Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley and Bill Nighy. The final film in the swashbuckling franchise won Choice Movie Action Adventure, while High School Musical 2 was awarded the Choice TV Movie award, with stars Zac Efron and Vanessa Anne Hudgens also honored for their roles in the teen sequel at the ceremony at the Gibson Ampitheater at Universal Studios, Hollywood, on Sunday night. Singer Justin Timberlake took home three awards including Choice Music: Male Artist, Choice Music: Payback Track for "What Goes Around," and was given the Ultimate Choice award - Teen Choice's equivalent of a lifetime achievement honor. Actress Sophia Bush equaled Timberlake's award haul, topping three categories at the awards hosted by Hilary Duff and Nick Cannon - Choice Movie Breakout, and two Choice Movie Actress wins for her roles in horror The Hitcher and comedy John Tucker Must Die.
Potter and Spider-Man Up for U.K. National Movie Awards21 August 2007 (WENN) Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix and Spider-Man 3 have been nominated for a host of prizes at Britain's inaugural National Movie Awards. U.K. TV network ITV is launching the new awards show following the success of their National Television Awards. Both events invite the public to vote for winners. Keira Knightley (Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End), Kirsten Dunst (Spider-Man 3), Emma Watson (Harry Potter), Megan Fox (Transformers), Eva Green and Dame Judi Dench (Casino Royale) are up for the Best Actress at the September 28 London ceremony. Bruce Willis (Live Free Or Die Hard), Daniel Craig (Casino Royale), Shia LeBoeuf (Transformers), Tobey Maguire (Spider-Man 3), Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom (Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End), Rupert Grint and Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) are fighting for the Best Actor trophy. Meanwhile Flushed Away, Happy Feet, Shrek The Third and The Simpsons Movie have been nominated for Best Animation.
Bonham Carter Is Pregnant9 August 2007 (WENN) A Room With A View actress Helena Bonham Carter is expecting her second child with her director boyfriend Tim Burton. The couple already have a three-year-old son, Billy Raymond Burton. Their new baby is due in December. Bonham Carter's spokesperson Karon Maskill tells website People.com, "They are very happy to be expecting their second child later this year." Bonham Carter and Burton, who live in London, got together after he directed her in the 2001 movie Planet Of The Apes. She will appear opposite Burton favorite Johnny Depp in the director's upcoming musical adaptation of Sweeney Todd, which also stars Sacha Baron Cohen and Alan Rickman.
Damon Is Hollywood's "Best Value"8 August 2007 (WENN) Matt Damon has been named Hollywood's best investment, giving the best box office returns for his salary. Damon, who plays a former CIA hitman in The Bourne Identity franchise, offers twice the value of Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks, making $29 for each dollar he is paid, according to Forbes magazine. Damon's role in the first two Bourne films have made $850 million, with the third now top of the US box office. Brad Pitt came second on the list, making $24 for each dollar of his salary, while Vince Vaughn was third, tying with Pirates Of The Caribbean star Johnny Depp. Rumor Has It star Jennifer Aniston was the highest-ranked actress on the list at number five. The top ten is as follows: 1. Matt Damon; 2. Brad Pitt; 3. Vince Vaughn & Johnny Depp; 5. Jennifer Aniston; 6. Angelina Jolie; 7. Renee Zellweger; 8. Reese Witherspoon; 9. Ben Stiller; 10. Sandra Bullock.
Depp Breathes Life Into 'The Rum Diary'31 July 2007 (WENN) Actor Johnny Depp is bringing Hunter S. Thompson's autobiographical novel The Rum Diary to the silver screen - seven years after he was announced as the leading man. Depp was cast to play the role of Thompson in 2000, co-starring with Nick Nolte in the tale of a journalist's adventures as he moves from New York to a San Juan newspaper in Puerto Rico. Benicio Del Toro and Josh Hartnett were also appointed to star in the movie in 2002, but the actors, including Nolte, are no longer involved in the film. The revived project will now be produced by Depp and The Departed filmmaker Graham King - who has acquired the full rights to the book. The Rum Diary will be penned and directed by Withnail And I writer Bruce Robinson, with shooting expected to begin after Depp finishes filming his current movie, Shantaram, with Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan.
Streisand Shocks Staff With Diva Demands19 July 2007 (WENN) Barbra Streisand has shocked hotel staff in a top London hotel by issuing a long list of demands during her stay in the British capital. The diva is staying in a $12,000-a-night suite in the city's Dorchester Hotel, and has reportedly issued employees with strict rules - including a demand not to look the singer in the eye. A source tells London's Evening Standard, "We were given a list of requirements that had to be met. Her manager said she needed certain things to make her feel like she was at home. She is using her own security team and will hardly set foot in the main areas of the hotel. It is easy to enter and exit the hotel from her suite without ever being seen." A source from the Dorchester Hotel adds, "We are used to famous people here, but Miss Streisand is almost on a different level. Johnny Depp was here a few weeks ago, but was very low key. He just sat with friends in the bar. He was drinking a $1,200 bottle of wine, but he did not expect any special treatment. But we are expecting everything to be different for her." Streisand begins a series of live dates at The O2 in London on Wednesday
Forster Named New Bond Director20 June 2007 (WENN) The director who persuaded Halle Berry to bare all for a raunchy sex scene in a part that earned her a Best Actress Oscar is to take charge of the next James Bond film. Monster's Ball filmmaker Marc Forster, who also made Johnny Depp movie Finding Neverland, has been given the keys to 007's latest adventure, where he'll direct Daniel Craig as the suave spy in the Brit's second Bond film. The 22nd Bond film, which he'll direct, will be adapted from a script he and Oscar-winning screenwriter Paul Haggis will develop. The new film doesn't have a title yet but it's expected to hit movie screens in November 2008.
Oprah Tops Forbes' Celebrity 100 List15 June 2007 (StudioBriefing) Oprah Winfrey has returned to the top of Forbes magazine's annual "Celebrity 100 Power List," replacing Tom Cruise, who slipped to No. 8. Forbes estimated her income over the past 12 months at $260 million. Johnny Depp moved to No. 6 on the list. The magazine said that his $92 million in earnings as an actor made him the highest-paid actor in Hollywood.
'Knocked Up' Makes 'Pirates' Walk the Plank7 June 2007 (StudioBriefing) Stunning film executives, Universal's Knocked Up, playing in 2,871 theaters, has taken over the lead from Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, playing in 4,362 theaters, since the weekend. On Monday, Knocked Up recorded $4,375,000 in ticket sales compared with $4,180,000 for Pirates. On Tuesday, Knocked Up increased its lead, posting $4,115,000 to Pirates' $3,715,000. And on Wednesday, the R-rated comedy retained the lead with $3,660,000 to $3,490,000 for the Disney blockbuster, according to figures from box-office trackers Media by Numbers. "What a shocker," commented L.A. Weekly columnist Nikki Finke. "Everyone thought Johnny Depp and his crew would have an easy voyage atop the box office charts for at least a second if not a third week in release."
'Pirates' Shines at MTV Awards4 June 2007 (StudioBriefing) Pirates not only captured the box office over the weekend but the MTV Movie Awards, too. Actually, it was the second installment, Dead Man's Chest, that received the trophies for best movie and best performance (Johnny Depp). Accepting the Golden Popcorn trophy, producer Jerry Bruckheimer turned to Depp and told the audience, "Without him, we wouldn't be here." Depp, who reportedly perturbed Disney executives when they first became aware of his outlandish interpretation of his role as Captain Jack Sparrow, responded, "I'd like to thank this man and Disney for not firing me first."
'Dead Man's Chest' Big Winner at MTV Movie Awards4 June 2007 (WENN) Summer blockbuster Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest was the big winner at Sunday's MTV Movie Awards, taking home two awards for Best Movie and Best Performance for star Johnny Depp. Also winning big was Sacha Baron Cohen, who earned the Best Comedic Performance award for Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan and nabbed Best Kiss honors with Will Ferrell for Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby. Other winners at the awards, which were hosted by Sarah Silverman, included Jack Nicholson as Best Villain for The Departed, Gerard Butler of 300 for Best Fight (against the "Uber Immortal"), Jaden Smith for Breakthrough Performance for The Pursuit Of Happyness and Transformers for Best Summer Movie You Haven't Seen. Shrek comedian Mike Myers was also honored with the MTV Generation Award.
Bruckheimer Won't Commit to Another 'Pirates' Movie29 May 2007 (StudioBriefing) Although most analysts were quick to predict that the success of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End virtually guarantees a fourth installment -- and star Johnny Depp has indicated that he would be willing to sign on so that he can explore the character of Jack Sparrow further -- producer Jerry Bruckheimer sounded noncommital when asked about expanding the franchise. "We've been working on this trilogy for 5 1/2 years, and the latest one was just a monster," he told today's (Tuesday) Los Angeles Times. "It's always about making sure you have a great story with interesting plots, themes and characters. There is a possibility-- we'll see what happens."
'Pirates' Fails to Claim Box Office Treasure28 May 2007 (WENN) New Pirates Of The Caribbean sequel, At World's End, appears to have fallen short of reclaiming its place in the U.S. box office record books - but Johnny Depp and his crew are still celebrating. The second sequel has scored an estimated $112.5 million in its opening weekend, although official figures won't be released until after Memorial Day. The figure, though impressive, is well below last summer's $135.6 million opening weekend take for Pirates sequel Dead Man's Chest. And it's way short of Spider-Man 3's record-breaking $151.1 million opening weekend earlier this month. But the Pirates won't exactly be walking the plank - At World's End scored the fifth-biggest three-day opening ever. The film has also made an additional $205.5 million internationally since it hit cinemas worldwide on Wednesday. The sequel easily tops the new U.S. box office chart, which is led by the third films in three franchises. Shrek the Third comes in second with an impressive $51 million second-weekend take, while Spider-Man 3 holds on to third place with $13.7 million. The third Spider-Man film has now notched up $303.3 million in America alone - in just a month. The movie's worldwide figure has already topped $800 million.
Lee Cut from 'Sweeney Todd'28 May 2007 (WENN) Horror movie icon Christopher Lee has been cut out of another major movie - director Tim Burton has axed the actor's role as a ghost in Sweeney Todd. Lee raged when his character Saruman was cut from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - and now he's been left out of another major blockbuster. According to FilmStew.com, Lee was slated to play a Gentleman Ghost in Burton's movie musical, which stars Johnny Depp as the fabled Demon Barber of Fleet Street, London - but Lee won't be needed afterall. But at least the aged actor didn't waste time filming his scenes for the movie. He tells London's Daily Telegraph, "It would have been worse if I had done the scenes, but I never got to film them."
Depp: "I Was No Blockbuster Boy"25 May 2007 (StudioBriefing) Johnny Depp, who had previously been known -- if he had been known at all -- for his quirky performances in such art-house faves as Edward Scissorhands, Benny & Joon, What's Eating Gilbert Grape?, and Ed Wood, has told a British interviewer that Pirates of the Caribbean "did a big flip for my career." Speaking to the London Daily Telegraph Depp described himself as "the guy who had been bouncing around the film industry for years and years and I'd been lucky if five or 10 people would see my movies." He indicated that producers had shied away from casting him in a major film because he wasn't "Blockbuster Boy." He said that he decided to take the original Pirates movie, which most entertainment writers had initially regarded as merely a promotion for Disney's theme-park ride, out of "pure instinct. I didn't know it was going to be such a huge hit." He added that he regards himself as "the luckiest guy in the world to have had such a great experience."
Movie Reviews: 'Pirates ... At World's End' (Pt. 2)24 May 2007 (StudioBriefing) A second wave of reviews for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End came ashore today, and by and large they are much more propitious than the first. Washington Post critic Stephen Hunter, who was decidedly unimpressed with the two prior Pirates movies, grudgingly writes: "Funner, biggerer, brightererer, bolderer, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End is not only okay, it may even be close to good. ... It's the first Pirates movie I've walked out of without thinking, 'Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of Tums.'" Michael Wilmington in the Chicago Tribune remarks that the latest Pirates film is the "most visually spectacular, action-packed and surreal" of the three, and he concludes, "The movie, extravagant, amusing and exciting, may be only a ride, but it's a ride that dazzles." New York Times critic Jeannette Catsoulis is especially dazzled by the performances of Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Bill Nighy Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley. The film, she says, "reminds us that great acting can transcend even the most elaborate makeup." Richard Roeper in the Chicago Sun-Times observes that the characters have now become "part of pirate-movie lore," and, he adds, "The sets, costumes, stunts and special effects are beyond what anyone could have dreamed about during the Golden Age of the pirate movie." But a few critics do have their swords out for these pirates. Claudia Puig in USA Today calls the film a "bloated, overwrought and convoluted three-hour misfire." Several critics admit, as those quoted Wednesday in earlier reviews did, that they couldn't figure out what was coming off in the film. Comments Gene Seymour in Newsday: "There's so much stuff happening, sometimes all at once, that it's hard to keep track of who's on whose ship, who's selling out whom and even who's getting killed, where and how. And it won't matter whether you've seen the first two Pirates movies or not. You'll still be confused." And Michael Sragow in the Baltimore Sun grades the film a D+, remarking, "This series has become so bloated and laborious that the plot -- and its subplots and countersubplots -- puncture any enjoyment you may have in this movie's daft slapstick and bold visual coups."
Movie Reviews: 'Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End' (Pt. 1)23 May 2007 (StudioBriefing) Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley and their assorted pirate family members have landed again and the first wave of critics have arrived to pounce on them. Clearly the critics are no match for the pirate force -- as even they readily admit. Nathan Lee, writing in The Village Voice, commented: "Long before the third, fourth, or fifth climax in this endless, obligatory summer diversion, I slunk into my seat in a passive, inattentive stupor, fully submitting to the fact that I hadn't the slightest idea what the hell was going on." Jack Mathews in the New York Daily News warns: "Beware my hearty: It will tie your rum-soaked brain in knots." Several critics suggest that Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End should have been called At Wit's End. Carina Chocano of the Los Angeles Times is one of them. "Three hours of very high-octane confusion" is the way she describes it. But Ty Burr in the Boston Globe says that's what makes the Pirates films special -- the "damn-the-torpedoes excess, larded on by producer Jerry Bruckheimer without a care for expense or even common sense. These movies go too far -- visually, narratively, abaft and abeam -- and still the filmmakers keep going, headed for the waterfall of spectacle run amok."
Bruckheimer Considers More 'Pirates' Films11 May 2007 (WENN) Movie mogul Jerry Bruckheimer is planning further Pirates Of The Caribbean sequels, although they may not star Johnny Depp. The third film in the trilogy, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, is to be released later this month, and Bruckheimer is already considering the idea of spin-off movies. He tells Australian newspaper The Herald Sun, "This is the end (of the trilogy), but whether one of the characters or a couple of the characters continue on, it's a possibility. Certainly, in a moment at the end of the film there is a hope that something else might happen". Pirates Of The Caribbean regular Geoffrey Rush believes another sequel is likely, although they might not necessarily star Depp. He adds, "Inevitably they may think about it, but Johnny may say, 'Pah, I've burnt out Jack. I couldn't go there again.' Or he may not. I certainly know he wouldn't say 'Hey, treble my fee and I'll do it.'"
Depp Speaks of "Great Scare" Following Daughter's Illness10 May 2007 (WENN) Hollywood heartthrob Johnny Depp has broken his silence over his seven-year-old daughter's terrifying illness two months ago, declaring the time was a "great scare" for his family. Lily-Rose was rushed to a London hospital after contracting the E.coli bacteria, which caused her kidneys to shut down. Filming on Depp's latest movie Sweeney Todd was halted so he could keep a vigil at the youngster's bedside with partner Vanessa Paradis. Fortunately, little Lily pulled through and her proud father she is back to her old self already. He says, "It gave us a great scare. What got us through this wasn't the strength of Vanessa or me but our daughter and her incredible ability to make us feel OK even though she was very unwell. She was super-strong. It was a very bumpy patch but she has come through it beautifully and unscathed and she is now as healthy as she always was. She is wonderful. It was a reminder to us of how to breathe, walk, talk, think and surround ourselves with people we love."
'300' & 'Dead Man's Chest' Lead MTV Movie Award Nominations1 May 2007 (WENN) War epic 300 and sequel Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest are leading the nominations for the 2007 MTV Movie Awards with five and four nods apiece. Both films have been nominated for the Best Movie award, alongside Blades Of Glory, Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan and Little Miss Sunshine. 300 star Gerard Butler is up for Best Performance and Best Fight, while Lena Headey and Rodrigo Santoro have been nominated for Breakthrough Performance and Best Villain respectively. Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest actors Johnny Depp and Keira Knightley have also both picked up nods for Best Performance, while Bill Nighy is up for Best Villain. The nominations are:
Best Movie: 300, Blades of Glory, Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan, Little Miss Sunshine, Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Best Performance: Gerard Butler - 300; Johnny Depp - Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest; Keira Knightley - Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest; Jennifer Hudson - Dreamgirls; Beyonce Knowles - Dreamgirls; Will Smith - The Pursuit Of Happyness
Breakthrough Performance: Emily Blunt - The Devil Wears Prada; Abigail Breslin - Little Miss Sunshine; Lena Headey - 300; Columbus Short - Stomp The Yard; Jaden Smith, The Pursuit Of Happyness; Justin Timberlake - Alpha Dog
Best Comedic Performance: Emily Blunt - The Devil Wears Prada; Sacha Baron Cohen - Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan; Will Ferrell - Blades Of Glory; Adam Sandler - Click; Ben Stiller - Night At The Museum
Best Kiss: Cameron Diaz & Jude Law - The Holiday; Will Ferrell & Sacha Baron Cohen - Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby; Columbus Short & Meagan Good - Stomp The Yard; Mark Wahlberg & Elizabeth Banks - Invincible Marlon Wayans & Brittany Daniel - Little Man
Best Villain: Tobin Bell - Saw III; Jack Nicholson - The Departed; Bill Nighy - Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest; Rodrigo Santoro - 300; Meryl Streep - The Devil Wears Prada
Best Fight: Jack Black & Hector Jimenez vs. Los Duendes (Wrestling Match) - Nacho Libre; Gerard Butler vs. 'The Uber Immortal' (The Spartan/Persian Battle) - 300; Sacha Baron Cohen vs. Ken Davitian (Naked Wrestle Fight) - Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan; Will Ferrell vs. Jon Heder (Ice Rink Fight) - Blades of Glory; Uma Thurman vs. Anna Faris (Super Girl Fight) - My Super Ex-Girlfriend
Best Summer Movie You Haven't Seen Yet: Evan Almighty ; Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer ; Hairspray; Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix ; Rush Hour 3 ; Transformers
Disney PR Guys Won't Look to Richards to Promote New 'Pirates'5 April 2007 (StudioBriefing) Reports on Wednesday that The Rolling Stones' Keith Richards had told a British music tabloid that he had snorted a mixture of cocaine and the ashes of his cremated father have flummoxed Disney publicists as they prepare to roll out Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, in which Richards appears in a cameo as Johnny Depp's father. Dennis Rice, Disney's senior vice president for publicity, told today's (Thursday) Los Angeles Times that when he saw the report, his first reaction was, "How are we going to spin this?" Late in the day, the singer said through a spokesman that he was only joking. But his explanation has apparently not been good enough for Disney. "Keith won't be doing a lot of publicity for this movie," Rice told the Times.
Will Smith Tops Power List4 April 2007 (WENN) Two-time Academy Award nominee Will Smith is the most powerful actor on the planet, according to an annual list by America's Newsweek magazine. The Independence Day hunk has eclipsed last year's winner Tom Cruise and previous regular winner Tom Hanks. Newsweek spoke to a host of studio chiefs and film producers anonymously for fear of offending other stars. Smith was chosen because of his huge box office success and his ability to tackle any genre - sci-fi I, Robot, action comedy Men In Black or drama The Pursuit Of Happyness. Following behind was Johnny Depp at two, Ben Stiller at three, Brad Pitt at four and Cruise at five.
'Pirates' To Keep Sailing30 March 2007 (StudioBriefing) Disney is planning to keep its Pirates of the Caribbean franchise alive even after wrapping up the current trilogy with Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, which opens on May 25, the Los Angeles Times reported today (Friday), citing unnamed insiders. The newspaper said that star Johnny Depp has already made it known that he would like to return for another pirate adventure, and said production director Rick Heinrichs, "If Johnny's interested, why wouldn't they?" However, contacted by the Times, co-star Orlando Bloom remarked that although he had heard rumors of a fourth Pirates film, "they haven't said anything to me ... so I guess I'm not coming back."
Depp's Daughter Released from Hospital15 March 2007 (WENN) Johnny Depp's seven-year-old daughter, Lily-Rose, has been released from hospital in London after a frightening bout of blood poisoning. Depp and partner Vanessa Paradis had been keeping a vigil at the child's bedside since she was admitted to London's Great Ormond Street Hospital at the end of February. A source close to Depp tells American publication Us Weekly, "She is doing much better." Despite media reports she had developed the condition after stepping on a rusty nail, the cause has not been confirmed. The source says, "They don't know how she got it." The 43-year-old actor is currently filming a movie version of the stage musical Sweeney Todd in England, which was temporarily put on hold while his daughter was in hospital.
Disney Angered Over Comic Pirates Porn9 March 2007 (WENN) Filmmakers Disney are reportedly considering legal action against Sinful Comics after they produced a raunchy strip featuring Pirates Of The Caribbean actors. British newspaper The Sun reports Sinful have created a comic strip, which sees movie beauty Keira Knightley being seduced by co-stars Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom at the same time. The latest installment in the real Pirates franchise, Pirates Of The Caribbean: At The World's End, is due for release in May.
Depp's Daughter 'Doing Much Better'8 March 2007 (WENN) Johnny Depp's young daughter is "doing much better" after being struck down by an undisclosed illness, according to the star's representative. The British newspaper Daily Mirror reported yesterday that Depp's seven-year-old daughter, Lily-Rose, had been rushed to an English hospital 10 days ago and the actor and his longtime partner, Vanessa Paradis, had been by her bedside every day. But, in a statement released by the actor's representative, Robin Baum, she says, "We are happy to report that their daughter is doing much better. The family greatly appreciates the continued support and respect of their privacy." Depp has been filming a movie version of the stage musical Sweeney Todd in England. A representative from the studio adds, "We have adjusted the schedule to accommodate (Depp's) needs at this moment. We understand that (Lily-Rose) is improving. Obviously, everybody at the studio is certainly with them in their good spirits." Depp and French model/actress Paradis also have a four-year-old son Jack.
Depp's Daughter 'Seriously Ill'7 March 2007 (WENN) Johnny Depp's seven-year-old daughter Lily-rose is seriously ill in an English hospital, according to British newspaper Daily Mirror. The Pirates Of The Caribbean actor, 43, and his partner Vanessa Paradis, 34, are holding a vigil at the child's bedside after she was struck down by the undisclosed illness nine days ago. The Mirror claims it knows what medical condition Lily-Rose is suffering from, but have decided to withhold it from the press out of respect for the privacy of Depp's family. Depp had been filming Sweeney Todd in London and Buckinghamshire when his daughter was rushed to hospital last week. A hospital source says, "He has not asked for any special favors but just wants the best for his child, like any parent. "It is such a difficult time for him but he is hanging in there for the sake of his daughter and the whole family is just praying that she gets better. They are taking each day as it comes. "It's been an emotional rollercoaster for all of them and he's been worrying himself silly. He's a devoted dad and is spending as much time as he can with Lily." Depp and French model/actress Paradis also have a four-year-old son Jack.
Depp Lines Up Nair To Direct New Film9 February 2007 (WENN) Johnny Depp has head-hunted Vanity Fair filmmaker Mira Nair to direct his new film. Shantaram will star Depp in the lead role, and will be co-produced by Depp's Infinitum Nihil and Brad Pitt's production company Plan B, who bought the rights to the Gregory David Roberts-penned book for $2 million. Indian-born Nair, who directed Monsoon Wedding in 2001, admits she is a big fan of the book and is looking forward to the challenge of working behind the camera with Depp. She says, "I just got the offer a few days back but I will start with it soon. It is a book that completely gripped me as it did millions of others. Johnny Depp is such an extraordinary human being and an extraordinary actor. He embodies so much what Shantaram is and so when he asked me to direct him it was obviously a great honor and challenge for me." Shantaram will be based on the life story of Gregory David Roberts, who escaped from an Australian prison and fled to Mumbai, India, where he became involved with the city's powerful mafia dons.
Denzel Washington: America's Favorite Star18 January 2007 (StudioBriefing) Denzel Washington has dethroned Tom Hanks as the nation's favorite movie star, according to results of a Harris poll. Hanks had held the top spot for two years in a row but fell to second place in the current poll. Surprisingly John Wayne, who has been dead for more than 27 years, placed third. Clint Eastwood, a perennial favorite placed fourth, while Will Smith made it to the top of the list for the first time, tying with Julia Roberts for fifth place. Rounding out the top ten were, in order, Johnny Depp, Mel Gibson, George Clooney, and Harrison Ford.
Mann Battles With Depp for Spy Movie16 January 2007 (WENN) Director Michael Mann has entered the race against Johnny Depp to make a film about Alexander Litvinenko, the ex-KGB agent who was fatally poisoned in London last year. Mann's film is based on the unpublished book Death Of A Dissident, which is being written by Litvinenko's widow Marina and Alex Goldfarb, who reportedly had close ties with the spy. The movie will focus on the Russian power structure enforced by the KGB and its successor the FRS and the "Wild West capitalism" that followed glasnost, with Litvinenko caught in the middle. Meanwhile, Depp's production company and Warner Bros have just announced plans to make a film based on the book Sasha's Story: The Life And Death Of A Russian Spy, which is currently being written by New York Times London Bureau Chief Alan Cowell. British police are still investigating Litvinenko's death, after traces of lethal radiation were found in his body when he was admitted to hospital three weeks before he died.
Bruckheimer Confirms: Richards To Appear In 'Pirates 3'10 January 2007 (StudioBriefing) Producer Jerry Bruckheimer picked the unusual setting of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas Tuesday to confirm that Rolling Stone guitarist Keith Richards will appear in the next Pirates of the Caribbean sequel, At World's End. There have been numerous rumors appearing on various websites that Richards had been cast as the father of Captain Jack Sparrow, the character played by Johnny Depp. Depp had previously remarked that he had modeled his character, at least in part, on Richards. In an interview with the London Daily Mirror last June, writer Ted Elliot said, "Johnny wanted him for Dead Man's Chest, but there was no room in the story for him. But there is in [Pirates of the Caribbean] 3."
Cohen's 'Sweeney Todd' Role Not Confirmed29 November 2006 (WENN) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory filmmaker Tim Burton has slammed reports Sacha Baron Cohen has signed up to star in upcoming film Sweeney Todd, insisting talks with the Borat funnyman are far from concluded. Earlier this month, media outlets claimed Cohen had landed the coveted villain role of Adolfo Pirelli opposite leading man Johnny Depp and Burton's partner Helena Bonham Carter. But Burton tells movie magazine Empire, "It's very early days of discussions. I don't know that got out there. The internet is a very strange place." The film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's musical is scheduled to begin filming in February.
Carter Reunites with Burton and Depp for Musical19 October 2006 (WENN) Helena Bonham Carter will re-team Tim Burton and Johnny Depp in the big screen adaptation of Sweeney Todd. Carter, Burton's longtime off-screen partner, has starring roles in Burton-directed films such as Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Big Fish and Planet Of The Apes. Carter and Depp starred in Charlie And The Chocolate Factory together and both voiced characters in Burton's animated film Corpse Bride. She will play the devious Mrs. Lovett in the new film, a role originated onstage by Angela Lansbury, who is a murderess who dispenses of her victims' bodies in meat pies and becomes the girlfriend and accomplice of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, played by Depp. In most stage productions of the musical, Mrs. Lovett has been nearly a decade older than the Demon Barber and is usually someone in her fifties, but Carter and Depp are both in their early forties. Media reports has British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen joining the cast as rival barber Signor Adolfo Pirelli, but the studio would not confirm whether he'll be part of the film. Shooting begins early next year for a late 2007 release.
Disney Denies Bloom Departure13 October 2006 (WENN) Disney bosses have hit out at reports they're planning to kill off Orlando Bloom in the fourth Pirates Of The Caribbean installment, insisting the story is completely unfounded. According to British newspaper reports, Bloom's character Will Turner is deemed "not necessary" to the sea-faring saga, although his castmates Keira Knightley and Johnny Depp are unaffected by the cutbacks. However, a representative for the film tells moviehole.net they haven't even agreed on a fourth movie, let alone the cast. He says, "We are working closely with Disney and want you to know that while we cannot comment on specific plot points, such rumors are completely unfounded."
Tom Sawyer's Eye Is on the Sparrow4 October 2006 (StudioBriefing) The Walt Disney Co.'s Disneyland theme park, which already has altered its Pirates of the Caribbean ride to include Captain Jack Sparrow, modeled after Johnny Depp's character in the Pirates movies, may now do away with Tom Sawyer Island, one of the park's original attractions when it opened 50 years ago, and convert it into a second Pirates of the Caribbean-themed area, according to MiceAge.com, an unofficial website that focuses on the Disney theme parks. The site claims that the decision, "crafted in the corporate offices of Burbank rather than the [Walt Disney Imagineering] design studios of Glendale," is aimed at promoting the third Pirates movie due out next year. If a $28 million budget is approved, the website said, construction would begin this winter to rebuild and rebrand the attraction. Part of the transformation would involve creation of an "interactive pirate museum," replacing the current Fort Wilderness, according to MiceAge, which commented: "Of course, it's a given that diehard Disneyland fans will likely recoil in horror when they first hear about this idea. But what should be kept in mind is that this project would make a beloved old corner of Disneyland exciting and relevant again for a new generation of fans."
Clooney Hails "Masculine" Owen4 October 2006 (WENN) George Clooney has hailed English actor Clive Owen as the biggest thing to hit Hollywood in years. The Syriana star is regularly impressed by Closer star Owen's smoldering performances on the big screen, as well as movie stalwart Johnny Depp. Clooney says, "Clive is the big find in the past two or three years. I think he's a movie star. He's, like, a man - there's a sexuality and a masculinity that I think is really interesting. Johnny just keeps doing really good stuff. He's just a really, really smart and good actor."
Keith Richards "Drunk" on 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Set25 September 2006 (WENN) Keith Richards appearance in the second Pirates Of The Caribbean sequel descended into chaos after he reportedly got so drunk on the movie set, the film's director had to prop him up. The hellraising Rolling Stones guitarist finally shot his long awaited cameo as Johnny Depp's father in Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End earlier this summer, but he is unlikely to remember the occasion which concluded months of speculation. Bill Nighy, who plays Davy Jones in the film, tells Empire Online that Richards was inebriated by the time the production team retrieved him from his trailer to shoot his scene, and he required a little support from director Gore Verbinski. The 62-year-old rocker is reported to have remarked, "If you wanted straight, then you got the wrong man."
'Pirates' Breaks $1 Billion Barrier11 September 2006 (WENN) Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest has become only the third film to break through the $1 billion international box office barrier. The swashbuckling sequel - which stars Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom - now only trails Titanic and The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King in the history books. James Cameron's Titanic made $1.8 billion following its release in 1997, while the concluding part of Peter Jackson's trilogy earned $1.1 billion.
Groom Reno Hopes for Third Time Lucky31 July 2006 (WENN) French actor Jean Reno married his long-term love Zofia Borucka in Baux-De-Provence, southern France, on Saturday. The Da Vinci Code star, who turned 58 today, wed French-American model/actress Borucka, 35, in a ceremony in the town hall, which was officiated by the town's mayor Gerard Jouve, a friend of Reno's. French singing legend Johnny Hallyday and politician Nicolas Sarkozy performed witness duties at the town hall ceremony, before joining the couple for a blessing at the local church. Reno wore a white suit on the day, while Borucka looked stunning in an off-the-shoulder long cream gown. Reno's Da Vinci Code director Ron Howard, actor Johnny Depp and his partner Vanessa Paradis, Brad Pitt and Sir Elton John were rumored to be among the celebrity guests at the reception that evening. The marriage is the first for Borucka, while Reno has been wed twice before, to Nathalie Dyszkiewicz and Genevieve Reno.
'Pirates' Becomes Year's Top Film -- In 10 Days17 July 2006 (StudioBriefing) Pirates of the Caribbean remained hotter than a July weekend in Barbados as it took in an estimated $62.2 million between Friday and Sunday to bring its 10-day total to $258.2 million and becoming the biggest money maker at the box office this year. It seemed certain to cross the $300-million mark by next weekend. But the biggest surprise may have been the second-place finish of Sony/Revolution's Wayans brothers comedy Little Man, which took in $21.7 million to finish second. It had been expected to earn something in the high 'teens. Little Man edged out Universal's You, Me and Dupree, starring Owen Wilson, Matt Dillon and Kate Hudson, which debuted in third place with $21.3 million -- a figure that was also better than expected. The real disappointment at the box office continued to be Superman Returns, which managed to pull in only $11.6 million to bring its total to $163.6 million since its June 28 debut. It took in only slightly more than The Devil Wears Prada, which accompanied the Man of Steel into theaters three weeks ago. Prada, which stars Meryl Streep, fell to fifth place with $10.5 million, bringing its total to $83 million. Nevertheless, despite the strong numbers, they were down 5 percent from the same weekend last year when Charlie and the Chocolate Factory -- another Johnny Depp flick -- topped the box office.
The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, $62.2 million; 2. Little Man, $21.7 million; 3. You, Me and Dupree, $21.3 million; 4. Superman Returns, $11.6 million; 5. The Devil Wears Prada, $10.45 million; 6. Cars, $7.5 million; 7. Click, $7 million; 8. The Lake House, $1.6 million; 9. Nacho Libre, $1.5 million; 10. A Scanner Darkly, $1.2 million.
'Pirates' To Remain E-Ticket Fare14 July 2006 (StudioBriefing) Pity the two newcomers as Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is expected to continue to seize box-office treasure over the weekend. You, Me and Dupree, starring Owen Wilson, Kate Hudson and Matt Dillon, and Little Man, starring Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans are each expected to earn somewhere in the neighborhood of $15 million apiece, while Pirates, according to analysts, is likely to add another $60-70 million to its booty, with many moviegoers who flocked to theaters last week to see the Johnny Depp sequel returning for a second ride. If it does, it would -- in a single ten-day period -- become the highest-grossing film of the year, exceeding the $231.7 million earned during the entire run of X-Men: The Last Stand. The record for a second weekend was set by Shrek 2, which earned $72.2 million in 2004.
'Pirates' Returns As Top DVD Seller13 July 2006 (StudioBriefing) With several writers remarking that the super-hit Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, starring Johnny Depp, is more enjoyable if one has already seen the original The Curse of the Black Pearl, people rushed to video stores last week to snatch the original film, making it No. 2 on the VideoScan sales chart. The DVD was originally released in December 2003. Also making the top ten was the Johnny Depp starrer The Libertine.Last week's top DVD seller was the Matthew McConaughey/Sarah Jessica Parker romantic comedy Failure to Launch which held the No. 1 spot for the second week in a row.
'Pirates' Movie Producers Sued by Screenwriter12 July 2006 (WENN) The global success of the Pirates Of The Caribbean sequel has been tainted by a Hollywood screenwriter, who claims the whole idea for the franchise was his. The megahit, Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, smashed box office records in eight territories - including America and the UK - over the weekend, but writer Royce Mathew is keen to halt the celebrations. He claims he created "drawings" and a "screenplay" for a project he called Supernatural Pirate Movie - and now he fears his ideas have been turned into a Disney blockbuster. Royce states he even called the pirate ship in his film treatment the Black Pearl - the same name used for Johnny Depp's craft, and the subtitle for the original film. And he also created a lead characters called Will Turner - the same name as Orlando Bloom's swashbuckler in the Disney films - and Elizabeth - the Christian name of Keira Knightley's character. The screenwriter insists he registered the drawings and his screenplay with the US Copyright Office, and is now suing the The Walt Disney Company, Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Touchstone Home Video and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, claiming movie bosses used his ideas as a blueprint for the Pirates of The Caribbean films.
Movie Reviews: 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest'7 July 2006 (StudioBriefing) Like last week's Superman Returns, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest has divided the critics about equally, with half suggesting it's a real summer treasure and the other half ready to dump it overboard. On Good Morning America, Joel Siegel called it "the best summer movie of the summer," then qualified his remark by adding, "not the best movie, the best summer movie. ... Your popcorn tastes better, it's that much fun. And all the other wannabe summer blockbusters like Superman have been so serious and glum." Michael Booth in the Denver Post calls it "a sweet umbrella drink leaving no hangover, two hours and 20 minutes of escapism that once again makes the movies safe for guilt-free fun." Jack Mathews in the New York Daily News says that at that length it's too long, but he adds, "Time flies when you're having a good time, and it's hard not to when the action is as spirited, the sets as glorious, the characters as inventive, and the performances -- especially those of returning Johnny Depp and new-to-the-cast Bill Nighy -- as much fun as they are here." Claudia Puig in Newsday writes that the film delivers "a combustible combination of ingredients for a summer blockbuster: a cornucopia of action and dazzling effects, some raucous humor and a large dose of Depp's winning charm." Gene Seymour's praise in Newsday comes more reluctantly. "As long as you accept it for the sprawling live-action, feature-length cartoon that it is, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest will neither disappoint nor drag on the senses," he writes. Likewise Peter Howell in the Toronto Star observes unenthusiastically, "For the most part, the movie strikes gold in the areas that count -- action, adventure and amusement -- while failing to fully capitalize on all the goodwill the first Pirates generated." But other critics have their swords out. Steven Rea in the Philadelphia Inquirer remarks that the film "lacks the swash and buckle of the original. And then some." Desson Thomson in the Washington Post maintains that the film "feels forced and hollow -- a repeat performance that's too self-consciously delivered to be charming anymore." Several critics point out that the film has no ending -- just a cliffhanger set up for the next installment due out in May of next year. A.O. Scott in the New York Times concludes that the movie "batters you with novelty and works so hard to top itself that exhaustion sets in long before the second hour is over. By next summer, I suppose, we'll all be rested and ready for more."
Depp Knows He Can't Always Get What He Wants, But If He Tries Hard...5 July 2006 (StudioBriefing) Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest star Johnny Depp, who has previously said that he modeled his Jack Sparrow character after Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, told a London news conference Tuesday that Richards will play his father in the third Pirates movie, which is scheduled to resume production next month. Richards is 62 (but looks older); Depp is 43 (but looks younger). "We're all looking forward to the idea of Keith coming in and doing a cameo," Depp said at the news conference, without explaining his use of the term "idea." Richards has been recovering from a serious head injury that he suffered in Fiji last April, which caused postponement of the Stones' European concert tour. It is scheduled to resume next week in Milan. There was no indication when Richards would film his Pirates cameo.
Richards Confirmed as Depp's Pirate Dad5 July 2006 (WENN) Rolling Stones star Keith Richards has made Johnny Depp's dreams come true after agreeing to play Captain Jack Sparrow's father in the second Pirates Of The Caribbean sequel. After months of negotiations, which were halted when the rocker fell out of a tree on holiday in Fiji and cracked his skull in April, Richards has signed on to play a whisky-soaked buccaneer. At a London press conference to promote the second film, Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Depp said, "We're all looking forward to the idea of Keith coming in and doing a cameo. You never say it's definite until the guy steps on the set and the camera is rolling. But it's looking very, very good." Depp, a longtime friend of the Stones star, has acknowledged Richards as his inspiration for pirate rogue Sparrow. Meanwhile, Richards will return to the road with the Rolling Stones next week in Milan, Italy after his head injury forced the group to halt the A Bigger Bang tour and postpone dates. Depp's co-star, Orlando Bloom, can't wait to work with the rock great: "I can't wait to see him. That's if he doesn't kill himself falling out of coconut trees - very rock and roll."
'Pirates' Premieres in London4 July 2006 (StudioBriefing) Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, the stars of Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, attended Monday night's premiere of the movie in London. The stars spent more than an hour in front of the Leicester Square theater, mingling with fans and signing autographs in 90-degree heat. Early British reviews are just shy of ecstatic. Critic Baz Bamigboye in today's (Tuesday) London Daily Mail commented, "There's a lot to enjoy in this high-priced piece of popcorn. Mind you, it's the best popcorn you're likely to find this summer. ... [It's] wall-to-wall fun, full of pure silliness." The BBC's Nev Pierce fairly shouted, "Brace the mainsail and shiver those timbers, etc, for this is a superb swashbuckler -- rousing, funny and spectacular." Steve Rose, writing in Britain's Guardian, has plenty to complain about, however, including a slow, convoluted opening. "It takes a tortuously long time to get all the narrative plates spinning," Rose writes. But, he concludes, "Despite all the fits, starts, and flaws, there's enough invention and energy here to make you want to see the next installment."
Richards To Shoot 'Pirates' Role in September30 June 2006 (WENN) Keith Richards' Pirates Of The Caribbean 3 cameo will be filmed when The Rolling Stones European tour wraps up in September, following months of speculation. Johnny Depp famously based his character Captain Jack Sparrow on the guitarist, and Richards has long been touted for an appearance as Depp's father in one of the two forthcoming sequels. And, after masses of on/off speculation, director Gore Verbinski has confirmed Richards will appear in the third Pirates movie, despite falling out of a palm tree in April and subsequently undergoing skull surgery. Verbinski tells MTV, "We've written a little cameo, and Keith has scheduled us into his tour, and it's going to be a lot of fun. Apparently he's doing really well, and we'll shoot him in September."
Knightley Thrilled With Dual Kissing Duty29 June 2006 (WENN) Keira Knightley was thrilled when she learned she would be kissing both Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp in Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. The star claims she is the envy of her friends after locking lips with two of Hollywood's most desirable leading men. She explains, "I get both of them! My girlfriends were really, really angry. I think I'm hated completely! They were very gentlemanly. Both had Altoids before we started kissing, which is always nice, the sign of a very nice man. The stubble's not great... No, actually I don't remember it being a particular problem." She adds jokingly, "Tough day at the office, you know!"
Depp Denies He Ever Shunned Commercial Movie Success19 June 2006 (StudioBriefing) Johnny Depp maintains that he has never paid attention to remarks from cult movie aficionados that he sold out when he accepted the lead in the original Pirates of the Caribbean movie. "Never, not once," he told Newsweek magazine in its current issue. "The idea of commercial success never bothered me necessarily. What bothered me was striving for that, and lying to get that." When the original film turned out to be a huge blockbuster, he said, he felt as if he had "infiltrated the enemy camp. ... Even now, with the dolls and the cereal boxes and snacks and fruit juices, it all just feels fun to me, in a Warholian way. It's absurd." Depp told Time that he's not ready to abandon his Jack Sparrow character yet. (He's still wearing gold veneers on his teeth that he doesn't plan to remove until he completes production of the next Pirates movie, the magazine said.) Asked about the possibility of additional sequels, he commented, "If they had a good script, why not? I mean, at a certain point, the madness must stop, but for the moment, I can't say that he's done."
Shiloh Sparks First Fashion Trend14 June 2006 (WENN) Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's three-week-old daughter has already made her first fashion statement after appearing on the cover of America's People magazine in a trendy T-shirt. Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt wore a vintage-washed grey cotton T-shirt with the words "The Pots & Pans Band" on her first magazine cover, causing the $42 shirt to immediately fly off store shelves. After the magazine hit newsstands last week, baby boutiques and high-end retailers including Barney's New York, Fred Segal and Bloomingdale's were inundated with telephone calls and Internet orders. The shirt's designer, Kingsley Aarons, claims he was stunned by the response saying, "It just hit me how big a deal this is." Aarons was inspired by his own two-year-old son Zephyr, when the amateur drummer began banging away on pots and pans in the family's kitchen. The designer says other celebrity parents who dress their kids in his shirts include Johnny Depp, Gwen Stefani, Seal and Heidi Klum and Slash from Guns N' Roses. He adds, "Brad and Angelina are definitely our customers. The new generation of young, hip parents are looking for outfits they would wear themselves." Aarons is currently working with the celebrity couple's representatives to send baby T-shirts to Africa to help needy newborns.
Director Weir Quits Depp Movie13 June 2006 (WENN) Director Peter Weir has quit new film Shantaram after failing to see eye-to-eye with Johnny Depp. The Master And Commander director and Depp, who is also producing the film, had creative differences on how to approach the story. A source for Warner Bros confirms, "Peter moved on from this film because his interpretation of it differed greatly than that of the studio and producers." Depp is still expected to star as an Australian heroin addict who escapes from a maximum security prison, reinvents himself as a doctor in the slums of India and winds up a gun runner and counterfeiter who fights against invading Russian troops in Afghanistan. Production is still expected to begin by spring 2007 in India, Spain and the UK.
Depp Sues Over "Ruined" Views1 May 2006 (WENN) Pirates Of The Caribbean star Johnny Depp is suing West Hollywood, Los Angeles, for authorizing construction which will obstruct views from his Hollywood Hills mansion. The actor, who divides his time between France and Los Angeles, is furious over plans to build a massive retail complex on Sunset Boulevard that would ruin the views from his $5.4 million estate. Depp alleges in the lawsuit that the city violated environmental-quality laws by approving a development of retail shops, a restaurant and a parking lot beneath his gated estate. He claims that the project would block the view his two children, Lily-rose, six, and Jack, four, enjoy while playing outside the home. Backers of the development dispute Depp's claims, arguing he has been very vocal about raising his children in France, where he lives with French actress and singer Vanessa Paradis. A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ruled against Depp last year. The case is being appealed on his behalf by his sister, Christi Dembrowski, who is also his personal assistant and president of his film production company. According to developer Joseph Emrani, the dispute has delayed the start of the $10 million project for over a year.
'King Kong' Named Best Movie of 200514 March 2006 (WENN) Gorilla remake King Kong has been named the Best Film of 2005, picking up top prize at last night's Empire Magazine's film awards. Despite being largely shunned at the Academy Awards earlier this month, the giant monkey movie beat Oscar-winner Crash to the accolade, as voted by the British public. But the racial drama did not go totally unrecognized, with star Thandie Newton hailed as Best Actress. Johnny Depp's inspired performance in Charlie And The Chocolate Factory earned him the male equivalent. Elsewhere, the cast of the Harry Potter movies were honored for their Outstanding Contribution to the British film industry. The movie franchise, worth more than $3.4 billion worldwide, was represented by teen star Daniel Radcliffe, who picked up the award for his role as the boy wizard. Movie legend Tony Curtis flew all the way from Los Angeles to personally accept a Lifetime Achievement Award - the first major award of his career. He was recognized for his roles in hit films including Some Like It Hot, Spartacus and The Defiant Ones. Sir Roger Moore, his co-star in cult TV series The Persuaders, was on hand to present the prize. The ceremony was held in the Hilton London Metropole, with British comedian Bill Bailey hosting.
Movie Reviews: 'The Libertine'10 March 2006 (StudioBriefing) The critics' love affair with Johnny Depp is over. Sort of. Most agree that his latest film, The Libertine, is dreadful. But some suggest that it's not unwatchable. Indeed, Ty Burr in the Boston Globe writes that of the latest batch of films opening today, "The Libertine is almost certainly the worst, and possibly the most enjoyable. Stinkers this rapturously self-assured don't come along often, and when they do, they deserve to be honored with the proper giggling disbelief." Eleanor Ringel Gillespie in the Atlanta Journal Constitution begins her review by noting that when the film opens, the cosumed Depp faces the camera and announces "You will not like me." Writes Gillespie: "Alas, it's his movie we don't like. Depp, for all his debauchery as the notorious 17th-century poet and, well, libertine, John Wilmot ... remains impossible to dislike." Also commenting on that opening line, Lisa Kennedy in the Denver Post remarks, "If by 'me' he means himself -- he doesn't, of course -- then he's wrong. Even in this minor movie ... it's hard not to admire Depp's gifts." And Michael Wilmington in the Chicago Tribune notes that in the end, the character asks "Do you like me now?" Wilmington calls it, "a cruel, mocking question in an intermittently fascinating, ometimes deeply unpleasant movie."
Stars Gather for Gonzo Documentary8 March 2006 (WENN) Johnny Depp, Sean Penn, Bill Murray, John Cusack and Benicio Del Toro have come together for a documentary on the life and death of gonzo journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson. The documentary, called Buy The Ticket, Take The Ride: Hunter S. Thompson On Film is currently wrapping up production. Depp played the author in Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, the big screen adaptation of Thompson's book, along with Benicio Del Toro as his lawyer, Dr Gonzo. Writer/director Tom Thurman plans to have the documentary completed by August and will decided then whether to release it theatrically in order to be able to qualify for an Academy Award nomination. Thompson committed suicide last February at the age of 67 at his home in Colorado.
'Kong' Dominates Empire Awards3 March 2006 (WENN) Peter Jackson's Academy Award-shunned remake of King Kong is leading the nominations for Empire Magazine's 2006 film awards. The New Zealand-shot epic has been named in five categories including Best Film. Pride & Prejudice, Crash, and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit, follow closely behind with four nominations each. The awards are the only film accolades to be voted for solely by the British public. Jackson, who is nominated for Best Director, will go head-to-head with Hollywood heavyweights Steven Spielberg (War Of The Worlds), Joe Wright (Pride & Prejudice), Ron Howard (Cinderella Man), Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins) and Nick Park and Steve Box (Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit). Stars Matt Dillon, Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Andy Serkis and Viggo Mortensen are all vying for Best Actor, while Naomi Watts, Keira Knightley, Thandie Newton, Renee Zellweger and Hilary Swank have all been nominated as Best Actress. The ceremony will be held in the Hilton London Metropole on March 13, with British comedian Bill Bailey hosting.
'Star Wars', DeGeneres and Garner Triumph at People's Choice Awards12 January 2006 (WENN) Sci-fi movie Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge Of The Sith, talk show host Ellen DeGeneres and Jennifer Garner were all double winners at Tuesday's People's Choice Awards. The final installment of George Lucas' adventure series was named America's favorite movie and favorite movie drama at a star-studded ceremony at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium. Alias beauty Jennifer Garner, who gave birth to baby daughter Violet last year, won the Female Action Star and Female TV star awards - while DeGeneres was honored as Favorite Daytime Talk Show Host and Funny Female Star. Johnny Depp was named Favorite Male Movie Star and Sandra Bullock picked up Favorite Female Movie Star, seeing off competition from Angelina Jolie and Nicole Kidman.
People's Choice Awards Feels the Force11 January 2006 (StudioBriefing) The film that earned the most money in 2005 has also been chosen as the public's favorite film of the year. At Tuesday night's annual People's Choice awards, Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith beat out all of the Oscar favorites to win the best film title. Sandra Bullock was voted favorite female movie star, while Johnny Depp won for favorite male movie star.
Depp Tops IMDb Star Search2 January 2006 (WENN) Hollywood hunk Johnny Depp was the most searched name in movies for 2005, by users of internet film bible IMDb.com. More film fans searched for the Pirates Of The Caribbean hunk's biography and filmography on the internet database, which receives 30 million visitors a month, than any other celebrity. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt followed close behind thanks to their high-profile relationship and their film Mr. And Mrs. Smith, up from number five and number eight in 2004 respectively. The Notebook beauty Rachel McAdams and Fantastic Four star Jessica Alba were newcomers to the 25, landing at numbers 17 and 6, while Napoleon Dynamite star Jon Heder and Desperate Housewives actress Eva Longoria entered at 19 and 22. IMDb.com managing editor Keith Simanton says, "The STARmeter reflects actual public interest in an individual celebrity. This list captures a snapshot in time of just how much attention these stars attracted. It's also interesting to see who tumbled out of the top 25 this year - a list that includes Jennifer Garner, who was on maternity leave for a good portion of the year; Viggo Mortensen, who needed more than A History Of Violence to keep his Aragon standing of No. 23 last year; and Halle Berry, whose Catwoman turn last year kept her in the spotlight at No 19 but who is at No. 63 this year."
'Scissorhands' Ballet Smashes Box Office Records28 November 2005 (WENN) A dance adaptation of Tim Burton movie Edward Scissorhands has become an unexpected hit on the London stage - before it has even opened. Ticket sales for the ballet, based on the Johnny Depp movie, topped $1.8 million before its first night on Tuesday. The staggering booking rush beat director Matthew Bourne's own theatre box office record, and he is delighted that Burton snapped up 12 of the popular tickets. Bourne requested the rights to the story - which follows a scientist who creates a young man with scissors for hands - almost 10 years ago from the maverick film-maker, but is grateful the project eventually materialized. He says, "I gave up on it once or twice. I couldn't talk about it any longer and had to get it out of my head."
'Pirates' Sequels Attacked by the Real Thing25 November 2005 (WENN) Filming on the two back-to-back sequels of Pirates Of The Caribbean has been dogged by a spate of real-life ocean thievery, according to reports from the Bahamas. Disney producers working on the swashbuckling Keira Knightley and Johnny Depp films reveal that two cast members have been forced to abandon the set for fear of their lives, after four brigand heists in a month. The last robbery on November 11 saw the brazen thieves make off with $20,000 in cash and equipment. Jason Kakebeen, head of location production, says, "We've had a slew of robberies on the actors who are working for Pirates of the Caribbean over at the Port Lucaya resort. They (the robbers) were able to get into the room with a key and stole everything from laptops, passports, checks, and other equipment. The money they stole was actually the actors' paychecks." Kakebeen admits that filming has come to a standstill while the crimes are investigated, but refuses to reveal the identity of the stars targeted, who have since left the shoot.
'Charlie' Knocks Off 'Sith'18 November 2005 (StudioBriefing) Surprisingly, Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith has spent only one week at the top of the home-video charts. According to Nielsen VideoScan's First Alert, the movie -- this year's biggest at the box office -- fell to second place as Warner Home Video's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, starring Johnny Depp and directed by Tim Burton, knocked it off in both sales and rentals. In fact the original 1971 version of the film, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, starring Gene Wilder, ranked seventh on the DVD sales charts.
Depp Threatens To Break Smoke Ban18 November 2005 (WENN) Johnny Depp has vowed to defy any smoking ban imposed in Britain and attacks similar enforcements in his native America. The actor, who is thought to have a home in the south of England, has cut down on his nicotine habit, but believes smokers should be allowed to quit on their own, without being alienated. He threatens, "I'll come over and have a smoke-a-thon. They've taken that whole pretzel and stretched it into as absurd pretzel as I've ever seen. Obviously it ain't good for you, and I don't condone it or recommend it, but everyone has to find their own way out of it. The idea of bludgeoning people and telling them that if they smoke they are awful is ludicrous."
Depp Defends Moss11 November 2005 (WENN) Johnny Depp has slammed fashion bosses who dropped his former love Kate Moss, after pictures emerged of her snorting cocaine. The Charlie And The Chocolate Factory star is furious with executives at Chanel, Burberry and H&M, who all cancelled lucrative deals with the supermodel in the wake of the scandal, accusing them of victimizing the beauty. He says, "It was unbelievably unfair the way she was treated. She was dragged through the mud. She's not running for office and she ain't looking to be the next Messiah. I think Kate should live her life how she wants to. She's no dummy, man." And Depp admits he still has feelings for the British beauty: "She's a great girl and I care about her a great deal."
Clooney and Depp Snubbed by British Comedy Duo9 November 2005 (WENN) Hollywood stars George Clooney and Johnny Depp's requests to appear in the upcoming series of UK comedy show Little Britain have been snubbed - because they are too famous. David Walliams and Matt Lucas, creators and stars of the highly acclaimed sketch show, have no intention of following Ricky Gervais' example by writing celebrity cameos into their sketches. The Office star Gervais has been grabbing headlines after announcing he has signed up Tom Cruise for an appearance in his show Extras - but Lucas and Walliams can't imagine their comic creations interacting with hunky superstars. Lucas says, "It could really unbalance the show. I mean, (our characters) Lou and Andy would never meet George Clooney. There will be no cameos from the stratospherically famous. We try to save celebrity appearances for (British fundraising TV extravaganza) Comic Relief." Sir Elton John and British singer Robbie Williams made brief appearances in Little Britain's Comic Relief DVD which raised $3.6 million for the charity.
Thompson Memorial Service Film To Be Screened at Festival9 November 2005 (WENN) An hour long film covering the memorial of cult author Hunter S. Thompson is to be screened at the Starz Denver International Film Festival in Colorado on Saturday. When I Die is directed by Wayne Ewing and follows the planning and attempts to secure local government approval to blast Thompson's ashes into the sky from a 15-storey tower, as well as the memorial service itself. The Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas writer shot himself in the kitchen of his Owl Farm home in Woody Creek, near Aspen, Colorado, on February 20. He was 67. In accordance with his wishes, his ashes were fired from a 150 foot tower, topped by the his 'gonzo' journalism symbol of a red fist with two thumbs. Celebrity friends, including Johnny Depp, Bill Murray, Sean Penn, Lyle Lovett and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band joined Thompson's widow Anita and 250 others at the private memorial in August, and watched his ashes join fireworks in the sky.
Depp Laments Lost Richards Role19 September 2005 (WENN) Johnny Depp has missed out on the chance to star alongside Rolling Stone Keith Richards, because the rocker's schedule is too busy. The Charlie And The Chocolate Factory star had been looking forward to Richards making a cameo appearance as his dad in 2006's Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. But now the legendary guitarist, who was the inspiration behind Depp's alter-ego Jack Sparrow, is too busy with his band's world tour to take time out for acting. Depp says, "It doesn't look like it will happen now. Keith is on tour so it's hard to fit into the timeframe we're working to."
Gilliam Stunned by Lack of Interest in Depp/Williams Film30 August 2005 (WENN) Movie maverick Terry Gilliam is amazed that a planned movie starring Johnny Depp and Robin Williams is still on the shelf - because American investors can't raise $15 million. The former Monty Python member was thrilled when international money men offered him $45 million to make the film Good Omens with Depp as a demon and Williams as an angel. But he was shocked to discover that Americans didn't have the same sort of faith in the project, and they failed to raise the extra cash he needed to start work on the project - an adaptation of fantasy writers Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's book. Gilliam tells US magazine Entertainment Weekly, "I couldn't get 15 with Johnny and Robin... These two guys, who would have been brilliant were not worth $15 million in America. That was the moment where I went, 'I don't understand this game. I don't understand this town (Hollywood). I don't understand any of the rules. All I know is I don't like it.'" Gilliam's last project with Depp, the ill-fated Quixote, became one of the biggest movie-making disasters in history when illness and storm-wrecked sets prompted financiers of the film to pull the plug as costs soared. The film, which was never completed, was turned into hit disaster documentary Lost in La Mancha. Gilliam hopes to complete his Don Quixote epic with Depp next year.
Hunter S. Thompson Remembered in Explosive Memorial22 August 2005 (WENN) The ashes of Hunter S. Thompson were blasted into the sky from a cannon in the late American journalist's Colorado estate on Saturday night, exactly six months after his suicide. The Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas author, 67, shot himself in the kitchen of his home Owl Farm in Woody Creek, near Aspen on February 20. In accordance with his wishes, his ashes were fired from a 150 foot tower, topped by the his 'gonzo' journalism symbol of a red fist with two thumbs. Celebrity friends, including Johnny Depp, Bill Murray, Sean Penn, Lyle Lovett and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band joined Thompson's widow Anita and 250 others at the private memorial on Saturday, and watched his ashes joined fireworks in the sky. His wife Anita lamented, "He loved explosions."
Thompson's Star-Studded Funeral Celebration18 August 2005 (WENN) Hunter S. Thompson's widow is holding a massive star-studded party instead of a wake for the writer's funeral this Saturday - to honor his final wish. The lavish bash, which will be attended by 250 guests including actors Sean Penn and Johnny Depp, will include readings from Thompson's work and live musical performances. The unusual ceremony will also see the cremated remains of the Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas author, who was a huge fan of explosives, being shot into the air over his Woody Creek, Colorado home. Hollywood star Depp - who portrayed Thompson in the 1998 movie version of the bestseller - is financing the send off, and has been busy constructing a special cannon so he can blast his late pal Hunter S. Thompson's ashes into the sky. According to the New York Post, the memorial platform/cannon will be unveiled on Sunday and has been modeled on Thompson's Gonzo logo: a clenched fist, made symmetrical with the addition of a second thumb, perched above a dagger. Thompson's widow Anita insists the upbeat celebration is perfect for the unconventional star. She says "No crying, no tears, only celebration. He wanted people to celebrate. He envisioned it to be a beautiful party. The most amazing people would be there. His friends would celebrate his life. And he was even specific that there would be clinking of ice and whisky."
Burton Credits 'Pirates' with Saving Depp9 August 2005 (WENN) Johnny Depp owes his blossoming career to The Pirates Of The Caribbean because it was a financial success, according to his Charlie And The Chocolate Factory director Tim Burton. The movie-maker loves working with Depp and fought hard to get him on board Edward Scissorhands, but insists studios were frightened of his unpredictability and reluctance to be a celebrity. Burton tells Empire magazine, "He's always been known as a good actor, but you know, Hollywood is a very safe community, and it's like their attitude towards me: they think he is a good actor but they are also a little bit worried because he likes to transform himself. He's more like Lon Chaney than he is a leading man. I hope and I think that they see an integrity to him and, except in my movies, they like the way he looks. Of course ever since the Pirate movie made money it's been different, because they see that as meaningful."
Depp Invented Wonka Voice During Child's Play31 July 2005 (WENN) Charlie And The Chocolate Factory star Johnny Depp invented his quirky Willy Wonka voice while playing with his daughter Lily-Rose Melody. The Hollywood heart-throb always auditions his future characters on the six-year-old, because children always give the most honest reaction. He says, "A lot of times what happens is you come up with these ideas and you never get to try them until a read through. I often play Barbies with Lily-Rose. Sometimes I will put on an accent and she'll say, 'Daddy don't use that voice'. Then we were playing one day and I started to use my Wonka voice, and she kinda lit up a bit, like, 'Where's that coming from?' And I thought, 'All right, I think I'm on the right track here.' Children are always the most honest audience you'll get. Whenever Lily-Rose and Jack would watch the Gene Wilder film on DVD, I would immediately run out of the room because I didn't want to be influenced by his performance one way or the other."
Movie Reviews: 'Bad News Bears'22 July 2005 (StudioBriefing) The question on the minds of many critics reviewing the remake of The Bad News Bears (the latest one drops the "The" in the title) is, "Why did they bother?" Most suggest that the film is entertaining enough, but Glenn Whipp in the Los Angeles Daily News remarks that it is "faithful to the point of irrelevancy," while across town at the Los Angeles Times, Carina Chocano comments: "Despite their similarities, the original still somehow feels like it was made for kids. The remake feels like it was made for people who were kids in 1976." Billy Bob Thornton, however, receives high praise for his performance in the role that originally was played by Walter Matthau. Writes Ty Burr in the Boston Globe: "Thornton is easily the best thing about the new Bears. Dangerous where Matthau was cuddly, his Buttermaker has nothing remotely lovable about him, and that's why we like him." And Carrie Rickey in the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that Thornton's performance is downright "subversive." She explains: "Now, I don't much care for Bad News Bears, a relatively faithful update of the 1976 film where beer-guzzling Walter Matthau coaches a Little League team of misfits who swear like stevedores. But Thornton! Oh my badness! He swills the Matthau role with the unslakable thirst of W.C. Fields and idiosyncratic sexuality of Johnny Depp."
'Charlie' Sweetens Box Office19 July 2005 (StudioBriefing) Studios and exhibitors were shouting, "How sweet it is!" Monday as the latest figures showed a significant surge in ticket sales over the weekend with the opening of Warner Bros.' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and New Line's Wedding Crashers. Charlie in particular set a number of box-office records. It was the best July opening for any Warner Bros. film in history; the best for an IMAX DMR release ($2.2 million with an average of $33,569 per screen); and a personal best for Johnny Depp, the film's star. Continuing to make a big splash in limited release was Warner Independent's March of the Penguins, which grossed $1.5 million in just 132 theaters. It is expected to widen to about 600 theaters on Friday. Overall, the box office was up 7 percent from the comparable week a year ago, with they top 12 films garnering $151.2 million.
The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Warner Bros., $56,178,450, (New); 2. Wedding Crashers, New Line, $33,900,720, (New); 3. Fantastic Four, 20th Century Fox, $22,783,303, 2 Wks. ($100,195,795); 4. War of the Worlds, Paramount, $15,244,749, 3 Wks. ($192,435,922); 5. Batman Begins, Warner Bros., $6,035,300, 5 Wks. ($183,140,850); 6. Mr. & Mrs. Smith, 20th Century Fox, $5,234,822, 6 Wks. ($168,276,570); 7. Dark Water, Disney, $4,609,754, 2 Wks. ($18,885,278); 8. Herbie: Fully Loaded, Disney, $3,619,074, 4 Wks. ($55,966,221); 9. Bewitched, Sony, $2,556,432, 4 Wks. ($57,026,688); 10. Madagascar, DreamWorks, $2,308,169, 8 Wks. ($184,083,054).
Depp Denies Basing Wonka on Jackson19 July 2005 (WENN) Actor Johnny Depp has slammed reports he based his eccentric character Willy Wonka on troubled singer Michael Jackson - insisting the colorful role was based on a selection of children's TV show presenters. Depp says Jackson, who was acquitted of child molestation charges last month, would be the wrong person to base the Charlie And The Chocolate Factory character on, because the Thriller star loves kids, while Wonka dislikes them. He says, "It never entered my mind, Michael Jackson loves children but Willy Wonka doesn't." The true inspirations were TV hosts Captain Kangaroo, Mr. Rogers and Uncle Al, who mesmerized Depp as a child. He adds, "There were memories I have as a little kid watching children's shows and children show hosts. I distinctly remember thinking their speech pattern was strange."
The Candyman Can -- And Did!18 July 2005 (StudioBriefing) The latest Harry Potter novel may have wound up making more money at the bookstores ($117 million in first-day sales alone, according to today's [Monday] New York Times) than the latest Willy Wonka movie did at the theaters over the weekend, but the book did not keep all of its buyers home reading. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory opened with a cloyingly rich $55.4 million, according to preliminary figures. It was the biggest July opening for a Warner Bros. movie in history, far surpassing Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines's $44 million in 2003. It was also the biggest opening for any movie starring Johnny Depp, surpassing his Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, which debuted in 2003 with $46.6 million. Combined with an estimated $32.2-million take for the New Line comedy Wedding Crashers, the box office ran ahead of last year's comparable weekend for the second week in a row, this time by about 7.5 percent versus less than 0.5 percent last weekend. (Both Warner Bros. and New Line are divisions of Time Warner.) Moreover, Crashers defied recent industry wisdom that R-rated comedies are unlikely to produce blockbuster numbers. "There's been such a move toward more sanitized movies, so I think the R rating actually helped," New Line marketing chief Russell Schwartz told the Associated Press Sunday. Meanwhile, last week's No. 1 film, 20th Century Fox's Fantastic Four, dropped 60 percent to about $22.7 million. Nevertheless, the film -- just barely -- crossed the $100-million mark. In the fourth spot was the Paramount/DreamWorks hit War of the Worlds, which earned an additional $15 million to bring its gross to $192.2 million. Warner Bros.' Batman Begins rounded out the top five with $5.6 million, bringing its five-week total to $182.7 million.
The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, $55.4 million; 2. Wedding Crashers, $32.2 million; 3. Fantastic Four, $22.7 million; 4. War of the Worlds, $15 million; 5. Batman Begins, $5.6 million; 6. Mr. and Mrs. Smith, $5.05 million; 7. Dark Water, $4.4 million; 8. Herbie: Fully Loaded, $3.4 million; 9. Bewitched, $2.4 million; 10. Madagascar, $2.1 million.
Depp Helps Construct Cannon for Thompson's Big Send-Off15 July 2005 (WENN) Johnny Depp is busy constructing a special cannon so he can blast his late pal Hunter S. Thompson's ashes into the sky. The cremated remains of the Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas writer, who was a huge fan of explosives, will be shot into the air over his Woody Creek, Colorado, home next month. And Depp, who has hired a Hollywood events planner to oversee the ceremony, now reveals that he'll be shooting his pal's remains from a cannon he's helping to construct. He says, "We're gonna give it our best shot, as it were. Hunter's last wish to have his remains fired out of a 150 foot cannon. That's the weird thing, you have to build the cannon. You have to actually design and engineer and build a canon for Hunter." And after seeing all of the planning involved in granting Thompson's last wish, Depp admits he'd like to make it exit slightly more low key. He adds, "I might go a little more subtle. Maybe put into the eye of the Statue Of Liberty, or something."
Depp Blames Fame for His Alcoholism8 July 2005 (WENN) Movie hunk Johnny Depp blames his speedy rise to fame for causing his debilitating alcohol addiction. The Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas star was so intimidated by his celebrity status during his early movie career, he turned to drink to block out his unhappiness. He explains, "I'd go to functions and back in those days I literally had to be drunk to be able to speak and get through it. I guess I was trying not to feel anything. My drug of choice back then was alcohol more than anything. Hard liquor, spirits. And yeah, I had a keen idea that it was not good. But you get liquored up and once you are in that spiral, you don't even get hangovers anymore. You wake up and have a drink again."
Wilder Retracts Depp Criticism6 July 2005 (WENN) Movie funnyman Gene Wilder has hailed Johnny Depp as a "magical" choice to play Willy Wonka in upcoming film Charlie And The Chocolate Factory - weeks after attacking Depp's casting in the movie remake. Wilder, who played Wonka in the original 1971 Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, recently accused director Tim Burton of remaking the Roald Dahl fantasy for "pointless" financial gain. And despite complaining Depp would not be able to improve upon his portrayal of Wonka, Wilder has now declared Depp is the perfect choice for the film. He says, "If I were going to cast the movie, I would cast Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka because I think he is wonderful. Mysterious - always - and magical."
Oprah Tops New Celebrity 10017 June 2005 (WENN) Media mogul and TV talk show queen Oprah Winfrey has topped the new 2005 Forbes magazine Celebrity 100 list. The annual Forbes list ranks celebrities according to their power, salaries and media presence. Winfrey was a clear choice to top the list after earning a staggering $225 million in the last 12 months, and her show is one of the world's top-rated. Golf ace Tiger Woods came in second and Mel Gibson, who topped the list in 2004, fell to number three. Star Wars creator George Lucas, who didn't appear among the Celebrity 100 last year, crashes in at number four on the new list. Meanwhile, funnymen Will Ferrell and Dave Chappelle appear on the list for the first time at numbers 18 and 78 respectively and Denzel Washington is also a Celebrity 100 virgin at number 31. The ladies of Desperate Housewives have replaced the girls of Friends - the cast of the hit new show debut on the new list at number 25, while Courtney Cox and Lisa Kudrow join the likes of Tom Hanks, Jim Carrey and The Rolling Stones, who fall off this year's list. Friends co-star Jennifer Aniston, who topped the list in 2003, falls to number 37. The top 10 is: 1. Oprah Winfrey, 2. Tiger Woods, 3. Mel Gibson, 4. George Lucas, 5. Shaquille O'Neal, 6. Steven Spielberg, 7. Johnny Depp, 8. Madonna, 9. Sir Elton John, 10. Tom Cruise.
Miramax Clears the Shelves8 June 2005 (StudioBriefing) Bob Weinstein and Harvey Weinstein are clearing the shelves of their Miramax Studios with a torrent of releases over the next three months in advance of their departure to form a separate company, the Los Angeles Times reported today (Wednesday). Many of the films, the newspaper observed, were held up during the Weinsteins' intense divorce negotiations with Disney. Harvey Weinstein said in a statement: "Releasing these films prior to our departure gives us the ability to continue to support the filmmakers and the projects." Nevertheless, the Times pointed out, the rush will result in five films being released in one two-week period in September, including the Johnny Depp starrer The Libertine, which has been touted as a possible Oscar contender. Some film producers expressed concern about the length of time their films have been shelved by Miramax. Producer Bertrand Faivre, who completed his film The Warrior in 2001, told the Times: "I hope people, especially the critics, will forget about the time it was made. ... You can say very good things about the film, but when you say that it was made in [2001], it kills the movie right there."
Wilder: "Wonka Remake Is All About Money"2 June 2005 (WENN) Movie funnyman Gene Wilder has attacked Tim Burton's choice of Johnny Depp to play Willy Wonka in upcoming film Charlie And The Chocolate Factory as a money-making ploy. Wilder, who played Wonka in the original 1971 film Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory, is suspicious of movie moguls' motives for remaking the Roald Dahl fantasy, and sees it as "pointless". He says, "It's all about money. It's just some people sitting around thinking 'How can we make some more money?' Why else would you remake Willy Wonka? I don't see the point of going back and doing it all over again. I like Johnny Depp, and I appreciate that he has said on record that my shoes will be hard to fill. But I don't know how it will all turn out." Despite Wilder's reservations, Burton insists his film will be closer to the original Dahl novel, than Wilder's musical version.
Depp To Reprise Role as Hunter S. Thompson20 May 2005 (WENN) Johnny Depp is set to reprise his acclaimed role as journalist Hunter S. Thompson in the sequel to his 1998 hit Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas. The follow-up, called The Rum Diary, is based on Thompson's very first novel, which journals his career and personal escapades in 1950s Puerto Rico. Depp is also acting as executive producer for the film. Thompson shot himself to death at his secure compound in Woody Creek, Colorado, on February 20.
Brad Pitt Moving to London?11 May 2005 (WENN) Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt is reportedly hunting for a home in Britain following his high-profile split from Jennifer Aniston. The actor is currently tipped to appear in a movie about a real-life attempted raid on London's Millennium Dome, and sources hint he will use his time in the capital to search for a home - most likely in fashionable west London, reports website Itv.Com. An English base will also move Pitt closer to Angelina Jolie, with whom he is rumored to be romantically attached and who lives full-time in Buckinghamshire, on the outskirts of London. Whilst still with Aniston, Pitt was last year rumored to have bought a retreat in England's East Sussex countryside, where Hollywood pal Johnny Depp and musician Sir Paul McCartney both own homes.
Depp Movie Causes Upset on Caribbean Island27 April 2005 (WENN) The makers of the Pirates Of The Caribbean sequel have sparked outrage on the island of Bataka, Dominica - by roasting Johnny Depp alive on a spit in a cannibal scene. Outraged residents of the tranquil island have accused studio bosses of insinuating their forebears practiced such inhumane rituals. And Charles Williams, the chief of the 3,500 remaining natives, has added his voice of dissent - and has blasted the locals who have signed up as extras in the movie for $95 a day. However, film bosses are attempting to downplay the uproar by insisting the scene is light-hearted and in no way reflects the history of Bataka.
Carib Tribe Leader Tries To Halt 'Pirates' Shooting25 April 2005 (StudioBriefing) Some members of the Carib tribe on the island of Dominica, including the chief, are calling on fellow members to boycott the production of Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean sequel because of a scene in which Johnny Depp's character is captured and tied to a skewer with fruits and vegetables "like a shish kebob," the Los Angeles Times reported today (Monday). Chief Charles Williams maintains that the film perpetuates the myth that the Caribs were cannibals. "Today, that myth, that stigma is still alive," Williams told the Los Angeles Times. "Today, Disney wants to popularize that stigma one more time, this time through film, and film is a powerful tool of propaganda." Disney has hired about 400 locals to work on the sequel, but Williams told the Times: "For me, a good name is better than riches. ... Shame on us that for a few dollars we are betraying our flesh and blood."
Depp and Cusack Attend Thompson Memorial7 March 2005 (WENN) Hollywood stars Johnny Depp and John Cusack joined friends and family of the late author Hunter S. Thompson at a private memorial party Saturday. The Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas scribe shot himself in the head at his secure compound in Woody Creek, Colorado, last month. In keeping with Thompson's wishes, only friend and family were invited to the memorial celebration of the Hotel Jerome in Aspen, Colorado. Depp and Cusack both appeared alongside Thompson in a 2003 documentary on his life, entitled Breakfast With Hunter. Depp also played Thompson in the 1998 cult film adaptation of Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas.
Hunter S. Thompson Takes His Life21 February 2005 (StudioBriefing) "Gonzo" journalist Hunter S. Thompson, the Rolling Stone columnist and author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, was found dead Sunday night of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his home near Aspen, CO. Johnny Depp played Thompson's alter-ego, Raoul Duke, in a movie adaptation of Fear and Loathing in 1998. Earlier, Bill Murray portrayed Thompson in the 1980 film Where the Buffalo Roam.
Hunter S. Thompson Commits Suicide21 February 2005 (WENN) Hunter S. Thompson, the creator of "gonzo" journalism and one of the most influential modern-day journalists in America, was found dead Sunday of a single self-inflicted gunshot wound; he was 67. Thompson's son, Juan, discovered the body at Thompson's home outside Aspen, CO, where the author lived with his wife, Anita, who was not home at the time. A self-styled rebel who lived hard and fast (it could be said he created the model for hard and fast living), Thompson helped pioneer the concept of New Journalism, in which a writer inserted himself into a story and relayed his experiences in the first person. Thompson's most notable achievement in this medium was 1972's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which detailed his drug-influenced escapades in the desert city; Johnny Depp later starred as Thompson's alter ego, Raoul Duke, in Terry Gilliam's 1998 film adaptation. Writing for Rolling Stone magazine, Thompson became a notorious counterculture figure in the early 70s, lambasting the Nixon administration and other politicians; he was also the model for Garry Trudeau's "Uncle Duke" character in the comic strip Doonesbury. Though he continued writing and living a hard-core lifestyle that would have been the undoing of men half his age, Thompson was always most well-known for Fear and Loathing as well as the film Where the Buffalo Roam, where the writer was portrayed by a young Bill Murray. Thompson is survived by his wife and son; no statement has been released as to whether the author left a suicide note. --Prepared by IMDb staff
Depp's "Creepy" Performance To Scare Audiences15 February 2005 (WENN) Johnny Depp is eager to terrify young audiences with his "creepy" performance as Willy Wonka in his latest movie Charlie And The Chocolate Factory. Annasophia Robb, 11, who plays Violet in the Tim Burton movie, was impressed with the Hollywood actor's friendliness on set - but admits his Marilyn Manson-inspired onscreen performance was terrifying once cameras start ed rolling on the latest take on Roald Dahl's popular book. Robb says, "His character is very creepy from any other Willy Wonka you've seen. I'm not allowed to say very much about that movie. He's such a normal guy, he treats everyone with the same amount of respect. He invites us to his trailer to make us feel more comfortable with him."
Pitt and Aniston To Remain Business Partners26 January 2005 (WENN) Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston have announced plans to remain business partners, following their shock split earlier this month. The future of the former couple's production company Plan B Entertainment was thrown into doubt when company co-founder Brad Grey announced just days before their split he would become head of Paramount Pictures. But publicists for the stars tell USA Today that their company has more than a dozen movies in the works which they plan to press ahead with - including this summer's anticipated Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, starring Johnny Depp. Several of the projects are high profile - such as the crime thriller The Departed, which is scheduled to start shooting in the spring directed by Martin Scorsese and with Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon starring. At one point, it was speculated that Pitt and Aniston would co-star in at least two Plan B projects - the romantic fantasy The Time Traveler's Wife and A Mighty Heart, about slain journalist Daniel Pearl and wife Mariane - but they're no longer expected to take on the roles.
'The Aviator' Revs Up for Oscars25 January 2005 (StudioBriefing) Martin Scorsese's The Aviator was given a big Oscar take-off this morning as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that the Howard Hughes biopic had received 11 nominations, more than any other film. The nominations included best picture, director, actor (Leonardo DiCaprio), supporting actress (Cate Blanchett), and supporting actor (Alan Alda). The film's closest competitors were Million Dollar Baby and Finding Neverland with seven nominations each. Aviator, Baby, and Neverland were joined in the best film category by Ray and Sideways. Clint Eastwood received an acting and a directing nomination for Baby. Jamie Foxx also received two nominations, for best actor in Ray and best supporting actor in Collateral. Nominations in the top categories:Best picture: The Aviator, Finding Neverland, Million Dollar Baby, Ray, SidewaysBest director: Martin Scorsese - The Aviator, Clint Eastwood - Million Dollar Baby, Alexander Payne - Sideways, Taylor Hackford - Ray, Mike Leigh - Vera Drake Best actor: Don Cheadle - Hotel Rwanda, Johnny Depp - Finding Neverland, Leonardo DiCaprio - The Aviator, Clint Eastwood - Million Dollar Baby, Jamie Foxx - RayBest actress: Annette Bening - Being Julia, Catalina Sandino Moreno - Maria Full of Grace, Imelda Staunton - Vera Drake, Hilary Swank - Million Dollar Baby, Kate Winslet - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless MindBest supporting actress: Cate Blanchett - The Aviator, Laura Linney - Kinsey, Virginia Madsen - Sideways, Sophie Okonedo - Hotel Rwanda, Natalie Portman - CloserBest supporting actor: Alan Alda - The Aviator, Thomas Haden Church - Sideways, Jamie Foxx - Collateral, Morgan Freeman - Million Dollar Baby, Clive Owen - Closer Best original screenplay: The Aviator, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Hotel Rwanda, The Incredibles, Vera DrakeBest adapted screenplay: Before Sunset, Finding Neverland, Million Dollar Baby, The Motorcycle Diaries, SidewaysBest foreign film: As It Is In Heaven, The Chorus, Downfall, The Sea Inside, Yesterday.
SAG Heaps Nominations on 'Sideways', Foxx12 January 2005 (StudioBriefing) The stars of Sideways, who have already received heaps of awards from critics, got more from their peers Tuesday when all of them received nominations for the 11th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. Paul Giamatti was nominated for best actor; Thomas Haden Church, for best supporting actor; Virginia Madsen, for best supporting actress; and the entire cast for best ensemble. Jamie Foxx set a record when he was nominated for three different roles. He received a best actor nomination for Ray; a best supporting actor nod for Collateral; and another best actor nomination for his television performance in the miniseries Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story. He was also nominated as a member of the ensemble cast of Ray. Other best actor nominees were Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda), Johnny Depp (Finding Neverland) and Leonardo DiCaprio (The Aviator). Best film actress nominations went to Annette Bening (Being Julia), Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace), Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake) and Kate Winslet (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind).
Screen Actors Guild Nominations Go Sideways11 January 2005 (IMDb News Flash) Perennial awards favorite Sideways dominated the Screen Actors Guild nominations with a field-best four nominations, including Best Ensemble Cast. The Alexander Payne comedy also nabbed three individual acting nominations as well for lead Paul Giamatti and supporting players Thomas Haden Church and Virginia Madsen, putting it just ahead of a number of films that received three nominations each, including The Aviator, Finding Neverland, Million Dollar Baby, and Hotel Rwanda; all those movies also earned Best Ensemble nominations alongside Ray and Sideways. Jamie Foxx was once again the actor of the hour, taking home three individual nominations for Ray, Collateral, and TV movie Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story as well as an Ensemble nod for Ray. Foxx was followed by Hilary Swank, who received two solo nominations, for Million Dollar Baby and HBO movie Iron Jawed Angels, and an Ensemble mention for Million Dollar Baby. With their film nominations, the SAGs threw a number of new names into the awards season mix, including Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace), James Garner (The Notebook), Freddie Highmore (Finding Neverland), Cloris Leachman (Spanglish), and Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda). A few noticeable absentees included Liam Neeson (Kinsey), Javier Bardem (The Sea Inside), and the entire cast of Closer, an actor-driven movie if there ever was one. On the TV side, familiar shows (The Sopranos, Everybody Loves Raymond, etc) rubbed elbows with a handful of newcomers, including Arrested Development and Desperate Housewives, and Patricia Heaton pulled a Hilary Swank of her own, getting two individual nominations for Everybody Loves Raymond and TV movie remake The Goodbye Girl as well as an Ensemble nomination for Raymond. The SAGs will be handed out on Saturday, February 5. Here's the (very long) list of film and TV nominees:FILMMale Actor in a Leading Role: Don Cheadle, Hotel Rwanda; Johnny Depp, Finding Neverland; Leonardo DiCaprio, The Aviator; Jamie Foxx, Ray; Paul Giamatti, Sideways Female Actor in a Leading Role: Annette Bening, Being Julia; Catalina Sandino Moreno, Maria Full of Grace; Imelda Staunton, Vera Drake; Hilary Swank, Million Dollar Baby; Kate Winslet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Male Actor in a Supporting Role: Thomas Haden Church, Sideways; Jamie Foxx, Collateral; Morgan Freeman, Million Dollar Baby; James Garner, The Notebook; Freddie Highmore, Finding Neverland Female Actor in a Supporting Role: Cate Blanchett, The Aviator; Cloris Leachman, Spanglish; Laura Linney, Kinsey; Virginia Madsen, Sideways; Sophie Okonedo, Hotel Rwanda Ensemble Cast: The Aviator; Finding Neverland; Hotel Rwanda; Million Dollar Baby; Ray; Sideways TELEVISIONMale Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries: Jamie Foxx, Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story; William H. Macy, The Wool Cap; Barry Pepper, 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story; Geoffrey Rush, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers; Jon Voight, Mitch Albom's The Five People You Meet in Heaven Female Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries: Glenn Close, The Lion in Winter; Patricia Heaton, Neil Simon's The Goodbye Girl; Keke Palmer, The Wool Cap; Hilary Swank, Iron Jawed Angels; Charlize Theron, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers Male Actor in a Drama Series: Hank Azaria, Huff; James Gandolfini, The Sopranos; Anthony LaPaglia, Without a Trace; Jerry Orbach, Law & Order; Kiefer Sutherland, 24 Female Actor in a Drama Series: Drea De Matteo, The Sopranos; Edie Falco, The Sopranos; Jennifer Garner, Alias; Allison Janney, The West Wing; Christine Lahti, Jack & Bobby Male Actor in a Comedy Series: Jason Bateman, Arrested Development; Sean Hayes, Will & Grace; Ray Romano, Everybody Loves Raymond; Tony Shalhoub, Monk; Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men Female Actor in a Comedy Series: Teri Hatcher, Desperate Housewives; Patricia Heaton, Everybody Loves Raymond; Megan Mullally, Will & Grace; Sarah Jessica Parker, Sex and the City; Doris Roberts, Everybody Loves Raymond Ensemble in a Drama Series: 24; CSI: Crime Scene Investigation; Six Feet Under; The Sopranos; The West Wing Ensemble in a Comedy Series: Arrested Development; Desperate Housewives; Everybody Loves Raymond; Sex and the City; Will & Grace LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: James Garner
Uproar Over People's Choice Awards10 January 2005 (StudioBriefing) Raising questions about a recently instituted change in the way it conducts its voting, the People's Choice Awards presented Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 911 its trophy for favorite movie of 2004 and Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ for favorite movie drama. The decision had been leaked last week on GoldDerby.com, a website that tracks entertainment awards. The website said that both Moore and Gibson had been tipped off ahead of time that they would win. It also pointed out that while previously winners had been conducted by a Gallup Poll, "which gave a more scientifically accurate reflection of the American people's choices," current voting is conducted online, allowing for political and religious groups to organize massive campaigns to support their favorite films. Other winners included Shrek 2, for best comedy film; Julia Roberts, for favorite female movie star; Johnny Depp, for favorite male movie star; Renée Zellweger, for leading lady; and Brad Pitt, for leading man.
Depp Refuses To Extinguish Cigarette2 December 2004 (WENN) Hollywood superstar Johnny Depp shocked an American woman in a London restaurant recently, when he refused to put out his cigarette. The Pirates Of The Caribbean actor was dining at Scalini's in the British capital when the unidentified lady took offence to his smoking and asked him to extinguish the offending item, even though he was sitting in a smoking area. Depp bluntly told her, "I'm sorry, but we're not in LA anymore."
Movie Reviews: 'Finding Neverland'19 November 2004 (StudioBriefing) While most critics find much to praise about Finding Neverland, starring Johnny Depp as J.M. Barrie, the playwright who created Peter Pan, several who are familiar with the actual course of Barrie's life are suggesting that the movie may be almost as fictional as anything Barrie himself ever wrote. The movie's plot, writes Manohla Dargis in the New York Times, "hews closer to Disney than Barrie." Jami Bernard in the New York Daily News adds: "The movie is so determined to wring laughter and tears -- and it succeeds, there's no question -- that it makes of Barrie's life a fiction on the order of flying children and pirates with hooks for hands." Most of the critics who have not boned up on Barrie's true-life story heap undiluted admiration on it. Philip Wuntch in the Dallas Morning News writes,"Despite opportunities to turn soft and clammy, the film is moving but not maudlin, whimsical but not cloying. Originally planned as a fall release, it arrives as one of the holiday season's most irresistible gifts." Most critics regard Depp's performance as Oscar-worthy. Michael Wilmington in the Chicago Tribune suggests that there are few other actors who "can play a childman [like Barrie] without seeming effete or precious. ... The absolute ease and empathy with which he plays this part guide us smoothly into the tale's emotional thickets." Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times writes that, for Depp, the movie "is the latest in an extraordinary series of performances. ... It is commonplace for actors to play widely differing roles, but Depp never makes it feel like a reach; all of these notes seem well within his range."
Keith Richards May Make Movie Debut27 October 2004 (StudioBriefing) Rumors have begun circulating on British websites that Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards will appear in the sequel to Pirates of the Caribbean: Treasures of the Lost Abyss as Johnny Depp's father. There was no confirmation of the rumors from Disney, the film's producer. In interviews after the original film was released, Depp said that he had modeled his character after Richards. The sequel to due to start production in February.
Richards To Play Depp's Father27 October 2004 (WENN) Hollywood hunk Johnny Depp's wish has been granted - Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards is set to play his father in Pirates Of The Caribbean: Treasures Of The Lost Abyss. Depp has admitted that he based his character Captain Jack Sparrow on the aging rocker when he shot the 2003 hit Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl, and now the stars are reportedly set to team up on screen. Earlier this year, Depp was alleged to have expressed an interest in Richards playing his father. The sequel is set to begin filming in February, with director Gore Verbinski taking the helm again.
Depp Defends Iraq Comments6 October 2004 (WENN) Hollywood heart-throb Johnny Depp insists he never called America "dumb" for starting the war in Iraq. The Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl star caused a furor in his native America last year when German magazine Stern reported he said the country was "a dumb puppy that has big teeth". In the latest edition of Vanity Fair magazine, Depp explains, "I would never insult the American people. I used the metaphor of a puppy dog, but I never said ignorant puppy dog. I said it's a very young country compared to old Europe, or Asia." Depp admits he received a barrage of hate mail from "right wing military types". He says, "If I want to say that I don't agree with the president's choices or words or intentions, so what? Even if I had said what they printed - which I didn't - what's the big deal?"
Depp's New Film Sparks Outcry Among Barrie Family4 October 2004 (WENN) Johnny Depp's latest movie Finding Neverland has infuriated JM Barrie's family, who are disgusted film bosses opted for a "fictional retelling" of the Peter Pan writer's life rather than a fact-based account. While the characters in the Barrie biopic are based on real people, Hollywood's version of events have led the classic author's family to complain about its authenticity - including the onscreen relationship between Barrie and his wife Sylvia, played by Kate Winslet. The movie depicts Sylvia first meeting Barrie shortly after the death of her husband to cancer - although in reality her spouse Arthur Llewelyn Davies was still alive. Sylvia's great-niece Lady Tessa Montgomery says, "It's a pity they didn't stick to the facts. Films have a habit of rewriting history. People rewrite even slightly the story or a character and often the family find it's not the person they remember or know about." Miramax Films boss Harvey Weinstein, who produced the film, has defended the movie as a "fictional retelling" rather than a biopic.
Depp Hands Over Viper Room to Missing Partner's Daughter24 September 2004 (WENN) Johnny Depp reportedly gave up his co-ownership of trendy Los Angeles nightclub The Viper Room following the controversy of his missing ex-partner. Depp has been caught up in the scandal surrounding the disappearance of businessman Anthony Fox, who went missing two years ago, and hasn't been heard of since. Now, as part of a legal settlement, Depp has quietly handed over his ownership of the trendy club to Fox's daughter, who plans to sell the Sunset Strip club. Sources close to Depp claim the movie star lost interest in the club in recent years after his friend River Phoenix died outside The Viper Room in 1993.
Toronto Unveils Festival Feast25 August 2004 (StudioBriefing) The Toronto Film Festival, Sept. 9-18, unveiled an impressive list of 328 titles to be screened in its 29th year, including several world, North American, or Canadian premieres, including Kevin Spacey's Bobby Darin biopic Beyond the Sea, Spike Lee's Sucker Free City, Pedro Almodóvar's Bad Education, Walter Salles' The Motorcycle Diaries and Richard Eyre's Stage Beauty. Among the festival's "Special Presentations" will be a "work in progress" screening of Laurence Dunmore's The Libertine, starring Johnny Depp and John Malkovich, and John Waters' A Dirty Shame, starring Tracey Ullman. Moreover, the festival has received acceptance notes to invitations extended to (among others): Sean Penn (who rarely appears at film festivals), Charlize Theron, Orlando Bloom, Kevin Bacon, Sandra Bullock, Dustin Hoffman, Mark Wahlberg, Matt Dillon, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Nick Nolte, Hilary Swank, Sigourney Weaver, and Martin Short (who will appear as celebrity talk-show host Jiminy Glick).
Depp Warns Paparazzi: "Stay Away from My Kids"4 August 2004 (WENN) Hollywood heart-throb Johnny Depp has issued a chilling warning to paparazzi who photograph his children - stay away or "I'll bite your nose off!" The Edward Scissorhands star lives a quiet life in France with his long- term love Vanessa Paradis and their children Jack, two, and Lily-rose, five. While Depp doesn't mind if snappers catch him on camera, he is fiercely protective of his young tots. Depp says, "I'm warning the paparazzi, 'if you're going to get me have a long lens and make sure you're really far away because if I get my hands on you it could get ugly.' I don't care if they take my photo - although I don't know why anyone needs another picture of me. I don't care if they Vanessa's photo, but when they take care of my kids, that I can't support. If I catch them I'll bite their noses off and swallow it."
Depp Crashes Sports Car Into Gate29 July 2004 (WENN) Johnny Depp is facing a $18,000 bill after wrecking his brand-new Mercedes by reversing into the gates of his French villa. The Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl actor, 41, sped the $28,000 sporty motor up to the electric gates outside his home in Plan De La Tour on the Cote D'Azur - before smashing into them as he reversed. A source says, "We saw Johnny pull up outside his house going at quite a speed. He put the car in reverse but can't have paying attention because he drove straight into the side of the gate. He knocked the gates' electric motor straight off the wall and left an almighty dent in the back of the car. Judging by the look on his face he got quite a fright. Once he got out of the Mercedes he started cursing himself for being so stupid."
Depp's Movie Tent8 July 2004 (WENN) Hollywood star Johnny Depp has turned his movie trailer on the set of new movie Charlie And The Chocolate Factory into a $450,000 "Bedouin tent". The actor, who is currently filming the Tim Burton-directed remake on location in Hertfordshire, England, was reportedly unhappy with the monster trailer - his home for the duration of the shoot. So he asked for all the fixtures and fittings to be removed and replaced with silk and satin drapes, huge cushions, animal hide rugs and incense burners, reports British newspaper The Sun - and set designers at Pinewood Studios have been called in to carry out a complete makeover. A set insider tells The Sun, "Johnny already has the biggest trailer on set but wasn't happy with it. He's a real hippy at heart and he wanted his trailer to look like a Bedouin tent."
Winslet Pulls Out of Woody Film25 June 2004 (WENN) British superstar Kate Winslet has pulled out of Woody Allen's new film - after she realized her frantic schedule will leave her no time for her young family. The Titanic actress - who is married to American Beauty director Sam Mendes - was due to co-star with Brian Cox, Emily Mortimer and Jonathan Rhys Meyers in the film, which will be the first Allen film to be shot entirely in Britain. However, after realizing publicity duties for Johnny Depp-starring film Neverland plus Mendes' own work on Gulf War drama Jarheads would have kept them apart all summer, Winslet withdrew. Her spokesperson explains, "Kate was very sad that she wouldn't be able to fit Woody's film in. She needs to be around her family."
Depp Starts Ozzy Biopic Talks23 June 2004 (WENN) Latest: Oscar nominee Johnny Depp has begun negotiations over starring as rocker Ozzy Osbourne in a forthcoming biopic. The Pirates Of The Caribbean: Curse Of The Black Pearl hunk is the former Black Sabbath singer and wife Sharon's first choice to take on the coveted role. And the couple - who star in reality TV hit The Osbournes with children Kelly and Jack - are keen to get Depp to sign on for the role, but admit he is still not definitely committed to the project. Ozzy says, "We're talking to Johnny but it's not 100 per cent yet."
'Kill Bill: Vol. 1' Kills Rivals at MTV Movie Awards7 June 2004 (StudioBriefing) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was voted best film at Saturday's MTV Movie Awards, but Kill Bill: Vol. 1 was the real killer, winning for Best Female Performance (Uma Thurman), Best Villain (Lucy Liu) and Best Fight (Thurman with Chiaki Kuriyama). Johnny Depp won for Best Male Performance (in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl). Jack Black took home the award for Best Comedic Performance for his role in School of Rock. This being MTV, Adam Sandler touched off little initial controversy (the awards show will not air until June 10) when, in accepting the Best Team award with Drew Barrymore for 50 First Dates, he thanked the people of Hawaii, where the movie was made, for supplying him with marijuana ("weed," as he put it).
'Kill Bill' and 'Return of the King' Win at MTV Awards7 June 2004 (WENN) Kill Bill: Vol 1 and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King took home most of the major honors at the MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles last night. Uma Thurman won Best Female Performance and Lucy Liu was named Best Villain for their roles in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill: Vol 1. The revenge epic was also awarded the Best Fight prize, for the clash between Thurman's character and schoolgirl Chiaki Kuriyama. A grateful Thurman praised Tarantino as she collected the award: "Quentin spent many years writing this for me and wants to be honored as if he were dead tonight. We don't have time, so I'll have to honor you as if you were living. Thank you, Quentin." The Return Of The King, the third film in director Peter Jackson's blockbusting Lord Of The Rings trilogy, won Best Movie and Best Action Sequence. Elsewhere, Johnny Depp's part in The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was voted Best Male Performance, and Jack Black won the Comedic Performance award for School of Rock. Lindsay Lohan took home Breakthrough Female for Freaky Friday and X2's Shawn Ashmore won Breakthrough Male. Best Kiss went to the smooch shared between Owen Wilson, Amy Smart and Carmen Electra in Starsky & Hutch, while Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore were named the Best Onscreen Team for their partnership in 50 First Dates. Superstars including Tom Cruise and Snoop Dogg presented awards at the glitzy bash, which is to be screened on MTV this Thursday.
Depp and Paradis Team On Screen?26 May 2004 (WENN) Hollywood husband and wife Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis are to star together in a new movie. Depp will play a gypsy and Paradise a dangerous temptress in an $18 million adaptation of Harry Crews novel The Gypsy's Curse. The film, due to start shooting in August, will tell the tale of a disabled man who falls under the spell of Paradis' femme fatale and is warned of his fate by Depp. Only last month, Depp claimed he had no plans to appear on screen with his wife. He said, "If something were to come up, that would be great. But actively looking for it - no. I like keeping things separate - she does her work, I do mine."
Depp Wants Keith Richards to Play His Father5 May 2004 (StudioBriefing) Johnny Depp wants Rolling Stone Keith Richards to play his father in the upcoming sequel to Pirates of the Caribbean, according to a report on Britain's ITV. Depp had previously told interviewers that he modeled his character in the original movie on Richards and the cartoon character Pepe LePew. Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Treasures of the Lost Abyss is currently scheduled for a 2006 release.
Depp Wants Richards to Appear in 'Pirates' Sequel3 May 2004 (WENN) Johnny Depp reportedly wants Rolling Stones rocker Keith Richards to appear in the Pirates Of The Caribbean: Curse Of The Black Pearl sequel - as his father. The hunky star famously based his character Jack Sparrow on the aged rocker in the celebrated film, and wants to pay tribute to Richards by landing him a role in the follow-up. A source says, "Johnny was slightly embarrassed by all the praise for Pirates because he was really just being Keith. A good way of thanking Keith would be to get him to do a walk-on in the sequel."
MTV Movie Fans Love 'Pirates'22 April 2004 (StudioBriefing) Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl shanghaied a leading six nominations for the MTV Movie Awards Wednesday, including best movie. Johnny Depp was nominated for best male performance, best comedic performance, and, with Orlando Bloom, best on-screen team. Depp's inclusion in the male performance category puts him in odd company: Jim Caviezel, nominated for The Passion of the Christ (the film's only MTV nod), Adam Sandler for 50 First Dates, Tom Cruise for The Last Samurai, and Bill Murray for Lost in Translation.
'Passion' Again Exceeds Forecasts16 March 2004 (StudioBriefing) For the third week in a row, Sunday ticket sales for The Passion of the Christ significantly exceeded studio estimates. The rush of churchgoers to movie theaters brought the movie's weekend gross to $32.1 million and its 19-day total to $264.5 million. With strong mid-week ticket sales continuing, the film should break the record for an R-rated film, currently held by The Matrix Reloaded with $281.5 million, by the end of the week and could cross the $300-million level by next weekend. Meanwhile, the new Johnny Depp thriller Secret Window opened in second place with $18.2 million. However, the film was receiving only fair comments from audience members polled by Cinemascore and is not expected to draw strongly next week. MGM's Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London debuted in fifth place with a disappointing $8 million, while Warner's Spartan, directed by David Mamet and starring Val Kilmer, premiered DOA with just $2 million. The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date):1. The Passion of the Christ, New Market, $32,130,978, 3 Wks. ($26,4510,209); 2. Secret Window, Sony, $18,237,568, (New); 3. Starsky & Hutch, Warner Bros., $16,018,291, 2 Wks. ($51,500,921); 4. Hidalgo, Disney, $11,861,620, 2 Wks. ($35,635,388); 5. Agent Cody Banks 2, MGM, $8,014,005, (New); 6. 50 First Dates, Sony, $5,425,736, 5 Wks. ($106,701,379); 7. Twisted, Paramount, $3,081,612, 3 Wks. ($21,134,984); 8. Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, Disney, $2,472,097, 4 Wks. ($24,942,380); 9. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, New Line, $2,021,501, 13 Wks. ($371,147,794); 10. Spartan, Warner Bros., $2,011,435, (New).
'Passion' Sets Indie Box Office Record15 March 2004 (StudioBriefing) Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ held on to the box office lead for the third straight weekend with an estimated $31.7 million in ticket sales, to put its sum to date at $264 million domestically and making it the highest-grossing independently produced film in history (putting it ahead of the previous record holder, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which raked in $241 million). During the past two weekends, analysts have underestimated grosses for Sunday screenings of Passion, and it could not be immediately determined whether they had adjusted their methodology for calculating this past Sunday's as a result. The Johnny Depp starrer Secret Window debuted in second place with about $19 million. However, the sequel to Frankie Muniz's Agent Cody Banks fell short of studio estimates with only $8 million to place fifth. And David Mamet's thriller Spartan, starring Val Kilmer, took in a sparer-than-spartan $2 million for tenth place. The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. The Passion of the Christ, $31.7 million; 2. Secret Window, $19 million; 3. Starsky & Hutch, $16 million; 4. Hidalgo, $11.7 million; 5. Agent Cody Banks: Destination London, $8 million; 6. 50 First Dates, $5.3 million; 7. Twisted, $3.1 million; 8. Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, $2.4 million; 9. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, $2.05 million; 10. Spartan, $2 million.
Movie Reviews: 'Secret Window'12 March 2004 (StudioBriefing) Riding a wave of publicity and good will following his Oscar-nominated performance in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Johnny Depp is receiving strong notices for his role in the thriller Secret Window. "Johnny Depp has emerged as the world's coolest actor," comments John Anderson in Newsday. Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times writes that "he brings a musing eccentricity to an otherwise straightforward role. ... His hair seems to have been combed with an eggbeater, but of course with Johnny Depp, you never know if that's the character or the actor." Megan Lehmann in the New York Post calls his performance "witty and inventive" and notes that the movie "leans heavily on Depp's eccentric charm, as the actor is alone on-screen for much of the film." The film itself gets mixed notices. Elvis Mitchell in the New York Times comments that Depp's performance "is the highlight of the underwhelming Secret Window ... a suspense thriller whose only suspense comes from an audience wondering if the picture will hit its promised 97-minute running time." Similarly, Desson Thomson comments in the Washington Post: "Depp's cool presence and quirky mannerisms are the only thing to keep your eyelids from shutting down like Venetian blinds." Wesley Morris in the Boston Globe dismisses it as a "jokey, junky potboiler." Peter Howell, in the Toronto Star concludes: "The movie has lots of Depp but very little depth."
Depp "Moved" by Accolades12 March 2004 (WENN) Oscar nominee Johnny Depp has been deeply moved by the numerous accolades he has received for his performance in Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl. The movie hunk has been propelled back into the spotlight thanks to his portrayal of roguish pirate Captain Jack Sparrow in the swashbuckling adventure. And Johnny - was lives with partner Vanessa Paradis and their two children in France - admits he never expected such attention for the role. He says, "I'm very thankful. I'm very grateful for this past year, and certainly the things that have happened, I had no expectations at all. Certainly not nominations of any sort. So I'm very touched, very moved."
Disney Home Video Shelves 'Ed Wood' Again11 March 2004 (StudioBriefing) Mystery surrounds the decision by Disney's Buena Vista Home Entertainment to postpone for a second time the DVD release of Tim Burton's Ed Wood, starring Johnny Depp. The film has been featured prominently in interviews with Depp and TV profiles about him in advance of Friday's opening of Secret Window, in which he stars. Video Store magazine reported Wednesday that Wood, which originally had been scheduled for release in 2002, had been reset for release last month and that some copies had already been distributed to retail outlets. Dozens of copies have been posted on the eBay auction site. They are described as "Recalled," and a notice emphasizes that they are not bootleg or imported copies. Buena Vista Home Video declined to disclose why the film had been pulled.
Depp Grounded by Ear Infection9 March 2004 (WENN) Hollywood hunk Johnny Depp was forced to stay away from the New York premiere of his movie Secret Window last night, after an ear infection stopped him from flying. The Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl star was expected to jet in from his French home to appear at the unveiling of his new film - the location of which was altered especially for him - but his ailment kept him grounded. American TV personality Regis Philbin, says, "Johnny was gonna come. (Film studio) Columbia put the movie premiere here in New York because he lives in Paris and it would be easier for him to fly to New York than fly to LA. He got on the plane and had to leave because he has an ear infection and was afraid to fly. So it turned out that I was the biggest name in the house!"
Depp Looks Forward to 'Pirates' Sequel1 March 2004 (WENN) Johnny Depp is desperate to step into his pirates outfit and appear in a sequel to The Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl. Oscar-nominee Depp, 40, desperately misses playing swashbuckling character Captain Jack Sparrow in the Disney blockbuster - a role he based on Rolling Stone Keith Richards - and he's desperate to start filming a follow-up to the hit 2003 film. Depp explains, "I went through a decompression period after the first film. If you're really connected with a character, you always do to some degree. You miss the guy. You miss being that person. The only thing that was in the back of my mind was the hope that there would be a sequel some day, so that I could meet him again."
Depp Beats Out Penn for SAG Award23 February 2004 (StudioBriefing) In what was regarded as a pirate's prize of the first order, Johnny Depp has won the Screen Actors Guild award for best actor for his performance in Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, beating out the favorite, Sean Penn, who was nominated for his role in Mystic River. There were no other surprises. Charlize Theron won for best actress for her performance as a serial killer in Monster. Renée Zellweger received the supporting actress award for her role in Cold Mountain and Tim Robbins, the best supporting actor award for his role in Mystic River. The cast of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King claimed the prize for best ensemble cast. Meanwhile, in separate ceremonies, Sofia Coppola received the WGA's best original screenplay award for her Lost in Translation, which she also directed. Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman took the award for best adapted screenplay for American Splendor. And in London Jerry Springer: The Opera won the Laurence Olivier award, presented by the Society of London Theater, for best new musical.
Beyonce for Lois Lane?3 February 2004 (WENN) Texan singer Beyonce Knowles is being tipped to star opposite Oscar- nominee Johnny Depp in the forthcoming Superman movie. The "Crazy In Love" hitmaker, 22, is in discussions with Warner Bros bosses about the possibility of taking the role of Clark Kent's journalist girlfriend Lois Lane. The Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl star is the favorite to play baddie Lex Luthor, while relative British unknown Henry Cavill may play the caped crusader in Superman: The Last Son Of Krypton. Beyonce caught the eye of producers after her sexy performance in Goldmember and more recently The Fighting Temptations. A studio source says, "Beyonce is perfect to play Lois. She's feisty and sexy."
And the Nominees Are...27 January 2004 (StudioBriefing) The nominees in the top categories: Director: Fernando Meirelles, City of God; Peter Jackson, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation; Peter Weir, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World; Clint Eastwood, Mystic River. Actor: Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl; Ben Kingsley, House of Sand and Fog; Jude Law, Cold Mountain; Bill Murray, Lost in Translation; Sean Penn, Mystic River. Actress: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Whale Rider; Diane Keaton, Something's Gotta Give; Samantha Morton, In America; Charlize Theron, Monster; Naomi Watts, 21 Grams. Adapted Screenplay: Robert Pulcini & Shari Springer Berman, American Splendor; Braulio Mantovani, City of God; Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; Brian Helgeland, Mystic River; Gary Ross, Seabiscuit. Original Screenplay: Denys Arcand, The Barbarian Invasions; Steven Knight, Dirty Pretty Things; Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson and David Reynolds, Finding Nemo; Jim Sheridan & Naomi Sheridan & Kirsten Sheridan, In America; Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation.
Sony Changes Release Plans for Depp Movie22 January 2004 (StudioBriefing) Sony has decided to move up the release of the thriller Secret Window, starring Johnny Depp, from April 23 to March 12 and promote it with an ad airing during the Super Bowl on Feb. 1. Reporting on the studio's decision, today's (Thursday) Hollywood Reporter described it as "a move that could help the film take advantage of the heat surrounding the actor." It's generally believed that Depp, who is a contender for a Golden Globe on Sunday for his performance in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, is also likely to receive an Oscar nomination. He has garnered nominations from the Screen Actors Guild and Britain's BAFTA. Depp also received much critical praise last year for his performance in Once Upon a Time in Mexico.
SAG Names Nominees for 2003 Awards16 January 2004 (StudioBriefing) The Screen Actors Guild on Thursday announced its nominations for best performances of 2003. Nominated in the "outstanding male actor" category were Sean Penn (Mystic River), Peter Dinklage, The Station Agent), Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl), Ben Kingsley (The House of Sand and Fog), and Bill Murray (Lost in Translation). Nominated in the female category were Patricia Clarkson (The Station Agent), Diane Keaton (Something's Gotta Give), Charlize Theron (Monster), Naomi Watts (21 Grams), and Evan Rachel Wood (Thirteen).
Depp Plagued by On-Set Admirers13 January 2004 (WENN) Hunky actor Johnny Depp is being plagued by female admirers on the set of new movie The Libertine, who've been hiding in the makeup trailer to get close to him. The sexy Pirates Of The Caribbean: Curse Of The Black Pearl star was not amused when the crew of the period drama discovered two over- amorous women had broken in to the set at Kingston-Upon-Thames, south England nightclub The Oceana. And after forcibly ejecting them once, the resilient fans decided to hide in the make-up department instead. A source says, "These two girls were very persistent and desperate to get near Johnny. We told them he wasn't there - but they wouldn't take no for an answer. We had to remove them twice from the set and once we were even forced to chase them from make-up. Security eventually had to corner them in the Venetian ballroom section of the club and forcibly remove them. You can't have a star of Johnny's size being bothered by crazy women running on around the set."
Carrey's Top Box Office Star12 January 2004 (WENN) Actor Jim Carrey has topped a poll of the Top Ten Money-Making stars of 2003 in an annual survey of cinema operators in America. Carrey scored a box-office smash hit with the comedy Bruce Almighty, which grossed over $240 million in America alone. Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman finished second, followed by Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, Johnny Depp, Russell Crowe, Tom Hanks, Will Ferrell and Renee Zellweger. Conducted every year since 1932, the Quigley poll asks owners to vote for the 10 stars who generated the most box-office revenue for their cinemas. Ashton Kutcher and Scarlett Johansson were named 2003's Stars of Tomorrow - the actor and actress who are most likely to be the top money- makers in the years to come.
Depp Is "Sexiest Man"21 November 2003 (StudioBriefing) Johnny Depp, star of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, has been named People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive 2003." The magazine said that since becoming a father of two children with French actress-singer Vanessa Paradis, Depp "is finally coming to terms wit his own charisma."
Depp Is the Sexiest Man Alive21 November 2003 (WENN) Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and Once Upon a Time in Mexico star Johnny Depp has topped People magazine's coveted Sexiest Man Alive list. The title was claimed by Ben Affleck a year ago. Others in the new People hot hunks list include Nelly, LL Cool J, Justin Timberlake, Brad Pitt, Colin Farrell, Russell Crowe, George Clooney, Nick Lachey and tennis ace Andy Roddick.
Juliette Lewis Rocks Out14 November 2003 (WENN) Natural Born Killers star Juliette Lewis showed off her rock chick credentials with a wild performance at ex-love Johnny Depp's club earlier this week. The normally polished actress looked a far cry from her smooth red carpet persona as she donned skin-tight jeans and a miniscule breast-covering top to perform with her band The Licks. Juliette took to the stage for a surprise set at Los Angeles' Viper Room, and gave a raunchy performance, even getting down on her knees and howling into the microphone. One surprised onlooker says, "Apart from her jeans, Juliette was hardly wearing a stitch. It wasn't the most flattering of tops to wear, especially with her not-so-curvy figure."
McGregor Snubbed by Wife for Film Role15 October 2003 (WENN) Ewan McGregor may be lusted after by film fans, but his wife preferred to cast another actor in the lead role for her first film. French designer-turned-screenwriter Eve Mavrakis told her disappointed Down With Love star husband she wanted Pirates Of The Caribbean hunk Johnny Depp for her movie For Love Of Art. Ewan moans, "After it was finished, she said, 'Do you know who I'd really like to play the lead role? Johnny Depp' So I said, 'Thank you very much - that's nice.'" However, Moulin Rouge star McGregor believes the thriller won't ever make it to mainstream cinemas if it ever gets made. He adds, "It's a dark story about snuff art, in which people are actually killed for the sake of art. The lead role of the detective is a drinking, womanizing, despicable character and it's hard to get films made about characters who are not likeable."
Hayek Becomes New Face of Coca Cola22 September 2003 (WENN) Frida star Salma Hayek has signed up as the newest face of popular soft drink Coca Cola. Taking over the reigns from Simon Cowell and Missy Elliott, in a new TV ad the Mexican stunner is seen munching food and guzzling the soda in the kitchen of a posh restaurant before rushing out to join her table of pals. Once a waiter brings her a plate with an extremely small portion of food, she quips, "Oh no thanks, I'm watching my figure." The commercial debuts in America on Monday. Hayek is currently on screens in Once Upon a Time in Mexico opposite Antonio Banderas and Johnny Depp.
Johnny Depp Signs for 'Fear and Loathing' Follow-Up18 September 2003 (WENN) Movie hunk Johnny Depp has signed to star in a follow-up to hit film Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas. Depp will join Fear and Loathing co-star Benicio Del Toro, Josh Hartnett and Nick Nolte in The Rum Diary - based on another of cult writer Hunter S. Thompson's hit novels. The film, which will reunite Johnny and Benicio on screen for the first time since the 1997 comedy, will also be directed by Puerto Rican-born Del Toro. Depp currently has two box office hits in release, Pirates of the Caribbean and Once Upon a Time in Mexico.
Depp Stars in Two Hits at Once16 September 2003 (StudioBriefing) Johnny Depp, who reportedly spent only eight days working on Once Upon a Time in Mexico, is being credited for the striking success of the film at the box office over the weekend. The film, costing just $29 million to make, took in $24 million in its first weekend. Depp, whose comical performance as a swashbuckler in Pirates of the Caribbean helped make that film one of the biggest hits of the summer, has suddenly become a big draw at age 40 after a career appearing in low-budget films playing eccentric and/or androgynous characters. Pirates also continued to perform well at the box office in its 10th week, coming in at No. 5 with $4.6 million to bring its domestic total to $288 million assuring it of becoming the second film of the year to cross the $300-million mark during its run. (The other was Finding Nemo.) The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Sony, $23,424,118, (New); 2. Matchstick Men, Warner Bros., $13,087,307, (New); 3. Cabin Fever, Lions Gate, $8,633,585, (New); 4. Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, Paramount, $5,042,028, 2 Wks. ($12,871,357); 5. Pirates of the Caribbean: the Curse of the Black Pearl, Disney, $4,506,400, 10 Wks. ($287,884,372); 6. Freaky Friday, Disney, $4,061,689, 6 Wks. ($101,971,030); 7. Jeepers Creepers 2, MGM, $3,019,860, 3 Wks. ($31,865,481); 8. Seabiscuit, Universal, $2,754,615, 8 Wks. ($113,606,750); 9. S.W.A.T., Sony, $2,708,563, 6 Wks. ($112,791,312); 10. Open Range, Disney, $2,706,853, 5 Wks. ($53,482,017).
At 40, Depp Becomes a Big Star15 September 2003 (StudioBriefing) In what appeared to be nothing short of a spectacular rise in audience interest for a theatrical film series, Robert Rodriguez's R-rated Once Upon a Time in Mexico opened with an estimated $24-million box office over the weekend, besting the original El Mariachi, which debuted with $313,000 in 1993, and the first sequel, Desperado, which bowed with $7.9 million in 1995. Sony, the studio that produced it, said that the result was beyond its expectations. (Some analysts credited the success of the film to star Johnny Depp's new-found status as a box-office draw following his appearance in Pirates of the Caribbean, one of the biggest hits of the summer.) Second place was claimed by Warner Bros.' Matchstick Men, which took in about $13.3 million. Another new film, Lions Gate's Cabin Fever, claimed third place with around $8.5 million. In limited release, Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation, starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson, took in an impressive $901,143 in 23 theaters, or an average of $39,180 per theater. The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. Once Upon a Time in Mexico, $24 million; 2. Matchstick Men, $13.3 million; 3. Cabin Fever, $8.5 million; 4. Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, $5 million; 5. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, $4.6 million; 6. Freaky Friday, $4.1 million; 7. Jeepers Creepers 2, $3 million; 8. Open Range, $2.809 million; 9. S.W.A.T., $2.800 million; 10. Seabiscuit, $2.7 million.
Two Johnny Depps for the Price of One15 September 2003 (WENN) Johnny Depp loved working on the set of his new movie Once Upon A Time In Mexico so much, he begged director Robert Rodriguez for another part. Depp wrapped up his part in the film in just eight days, thanks to movie-maker Rodriguez's famous speedy approach to movies, and he simply didn't want to go home to France. Rodriguez says, "He'd never shot a full movie in eight days and at the end of that he was like, 'Is there anything else I can do, man?' He said, 'Who's playing the priest?' and I said I hadn't cast it yet. He said, 'How about I do a Marlon Brando voice and dress up as someone else? Can I do the priest before I leave?' So there's a confessional scene which wasn't supposed to feature Johnny Depp."
Movie Reviews: 'Once Upon a Time in Mexico'12 September 2003 (StudioBriefing) Robert Rodriguez's Once Upon a Time in Mexico derives its title from Sergio Leone's classic Once Upon a Time in the West and is said to have been suggested by Quentin Tarantino, who saw similarities in the careers of the two directors. It is directed, edited, shot, written, and scored by Rodriguez. The filmmaker himself is receiving high marks from critics for all of his efforts except those as a writer. "The only thing missing is a coherent story -- or even, for that matter, an interesting idea for one," writes A.O. Scott in the New York Times. Wesley Morris in the Boston Globe comments: "The plot practically demands that you board a tour bus to navigate it." Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times also comments that Rodriguez still hasn't learned to structure a story, but he adds: "You know what? I didn't mind. I understood the general outlines of the story, I like the bold strokes he uses to create the characters, and I was amused by the camera work, which includes a lot of shots that are about themselves." The actors, who comprise an all-star cast that includes Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Johnny Depp, Willem Dafoe and Mickey Rourke, receive much praise from critics -- particularly Depp, who is having an auspicious year with this film and Pirates of the Caribbean. Ann Hornaday in the Washington Post comments that Depp "is quickly proving to be the most larcenous man in show business by stealing every movie he's in." Similarly, Michael Wilmington in the Chicago Tribune observes that with this film, Depp pulls off "more movie piracy." John Anderson in Newsday remarks that Depp proves "that he has a great sense of comedic timing, as well as a great sense of swagger." And Geoff Pevere in the Toronto Star, who attempted to sink Pirates of the Caribbean with his review, concludes: "For the second time this year, the actor transforms a moribund movie into a watchable one merely by being there."
Winona Fights for Convicted Murderers9 September 2003 (WENN) Troubled actress Winona Ryder has taken to wearing a bracelet honoring three convicted murderers that she's convinced are innocent. The names of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Miskelley, aka The Memphis Three, and the dates of their arrest are etched on the bracelet she wears around her right wrist. Ryder, who has been fighting for the convicted men's freedom along with fellow stars like Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder and ex-love Johnny Depp, plans to add the trio's release date to the bangle. She says, "They are in my hearts every day, and I will never give up until they're out." The three men were teenagers when they were arrested for the ritualistic murder of three eight-year-old boys in West Memphis, Arkansas, in 1993, and Echols was sentenced to death. A 1996 TV documentary, Paradise Lost: The Child Murders At Robin Hood Hills, raised questions about the guilt of the three men, and prompted a number of stars to fight for the release of the trio. Ryder, who was found guilty of shoplifting a Beverly Hills store last year and placed on three years probation, attended an exhibit to raise awareness for the release campaign in Los Angeles at the weekend.
Depp: "I Love My Country"8 September 2003 (WENN) Hollywood star Johnny Depp insists his derogatory comments about America were misinterpreted - because he actually loves his native country. Earlier this week the Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl actor slammed "aggressive" America, comparing it to a "dumb puppy". But now the screen favorite - who lives in France with his lover Vanessa Paradis and their two children - claims his remarks were misrepresented, insisting he is just a citizen expressing several concerns for his country. Depp says, "I am an American. I love my country and have great hopes for it. It is for this reason that I speak candidly and sometimes critically about it. I have benefited greatly from the freedom that exists in my country and for this I am eternally grateful. What I was saying was that, compared to Europe, America is a very young country and we are still growing as a nation. My deepest apologies to those who were offended, affected, or hurt by this insanely twisted deformation of my words and intent."
Depp Slams "Dumb Puppy" U.S.4 September 2003 (WENN) Actor Johnny Depp has hit out at his home country, comparing America to an stupid, out of control puppy dog. The Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas star lives in France with long-time love Vanessa Paradis and their two children, and insists he won't be returning to his home country - especially after the war on Iraq proved all his worst fears. He says, "America is dumb, it's like a dumb puppy that has big teeth that can bite and hurt you, aggressive. My daughter is four, my boy is one. I'd like them to see America as a toy, a broken toy. Investigate it a little, check it out, get this feeling and then get out." Depp also slams George W. Bush's administration for its reaction to the French refusal to support the attacks on Iraq. He adds, "I was ecstatic they re-named French Fries as Freedom Fries. Grown men and women in positions of power in the US government showing themselves as idiots."
More Than Just a Cameo for Depp2 September 2003 (WENN) Heart-throb actor Johnny Depp was shocked when he saw his new film Once Upon A Time In Mexico - because he didn't expect to be in it so much. Depp stars as a corrupt CIA agent in the third installment of the El Mariachi saga, about a mythic guitar-slinging hero, played by Antonio Banderas, who fights to save the Mexican people. But Johnny says his own role was actually a lot bigger than he first thought: He says, "I thought it was like a cameo. You know - a bit, a small little in and out thing. Suddenly, it was my agent or my sister, someone saw the movie and said 'Man, you're through the whole thing'. "I had no idea - especially after nine days of shooting."
Depp Boycotting 'Entertainment Tonight'21 August 2003 (StudioBriefing) Johnny Depp reportedly is so furious at Entertainment Tonight over a recent report that he will refuse to be interviewed by the show's reporters during a press junket this weekend at which he will be promoting his upcoming movie, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, MSNBC.com reported today (Thursday). "He's boycotting them," an insider told the website, noting that Depp was angered by the way the show reported on an item that originally appear in GQ magazine in which the actor described how he would handle his children's curiosity about marijuana when they grow older. A spokesman for Depp was quoted as saying, "They sort of took half a quote. They ran it out of context, and it wasn't what the story was saying. He wasn't happy with them."
Depp Officially Offered Willy Wonka Role20 August 2003 (WENN) The idea of Johnny Depp playing Willy Wonka is about to go from pure imagination to reality, as Variety reports that the actor is in talks to star as the ultimate candy man in Tim Burton's new adaptation of Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Word has it that Warner Bros. has officially offered Depp the role, and it's now up to the agents and lawyers to negotiate an offer to the hot-again actor, whose Pirates of the Caribbean has emerged as one of the summer's biggest hits. Long considered a fan favorite for the role, Depp was something of a "dark horse" candidate, as reports initially had Christopher Walken and Michael Keaton – both of whom, like Depp, had previously worked with Burton – vying for the role, with Depp's name coming into play as development progressed. Shooting is expected to start sometime next year. --Prepared by IMDb staff
Depp Keen To Play Ozzy Osbourne8 August 2003 (WENN) Quirky superstar Johnny Depp is so "fascinated" by Ozzy Osbourne he's desperate to play the wild rocker in a biopic. Johnny is currently starring in blockbuster Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl, in which he based his character Captain Jack Sparrow on The Rolling Stones's legendary guitarist Keith Richards. Now he wants to play a rocker for real in the new movie of Ozzy's raucous life, which is currently being developed by the former Black Sabbath frontman's wife Sharon. Depp explains, "He's a deeply fascinating human being."
Depp To Head to the Chocolate Factory?28 July 2003 (WENN) Johnny Depp has become the surprise front-runner to play Willy Wonka in the remake of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory. Filmmaker Tim Burton was originally said to be deciding between Christopher Walken - who worked with Burton in Sleepy Hollow - and Michael Keaton - his star in Batman: Returns and Beetlejuice - for the role. But the success of Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl and past collaborations with Burton now has Hollywood sources putting Depp at the front of the race. The highly anticipated movie begins filming next year for a 2005 release.
Depp's Dope Plans for His Kids18 July 2003 (WENN) Movie hunk Johnny Depp will buy marijuana for his kids when they start showing an interest in the drug because he fears street dealers will cheat them. The liberally-minded actor - and father to Lily-rose, four, and baby Jack - is convinced the gesture will help keep his children away from more dangerous drugs. Depp, married to French actress Vanessa Paradis, says, "Out on the street, you never know what you're getting and suddenly two days later, you're beating yourself in the head with a tennis racket, wearing a towel and quoting Poe. You don't want that for your kid."
Disney Finds Gold on High Seas15 July 2003 (StudioBriefing) Disney found an unexpected treasure-chest at the box office last weekend as its Johnny Depp starrer, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl opened with $46.6 million in ticket sales. At the same time, Disney's animated Finding Nemo earned an additional $8.5 million in its seventh week, making it all but certain that the film will cross the $300-million mark by next weekend. Meanwhile 20th Century Fox's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen opened in second place with $23.1 million, an especially strong start given many analysts' predictions that it was headed for early oblivion. The film even beat out Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, which plummeted to third place in its second week, taking in only $19.5 million. The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Disney, $46,630,690, 1 Wks. ($70,625,971 -- From Wednesday); 2. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, 20th Century Fox, $23,075,892, (New); 3. Terminator 3: the Rise of the Machines, Warner Bros., $19,477,207, 2 Wks. ($110,313,912); 4. Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde, MGM, $12,030,319, 2 Wks. ($62,897,554); 5. Finding Nemo, Disney, $8,465,110, 7 Wks. ($291,068,455); 6. Charlie's Angels 2: Full Throttle, Sony, $7,145,900, 2 Wks. ($81,533,742); 7. Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, DreamWorks, $4,310,834, 2 Wks. ($18,804,444); 8. 28 Days Later, Fox Searchlight, $4,249,700, 3 Wks. ($28,448,989); 9. The Hulk, Universal, $3,670,035, 4 Wks. ($124,669,950); 10. The Italian Job, Paramount, $2,736,905, 7 Wks. ($88,833,887).
Johnny Depp: "Take a Picture of My Kids and Watch Out"14 July 2003 (WENN) Movie hunk Johnny Depp has issued an angry warning to intrusive photographers - take a picture of my kids and "it could get very ugly". The Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl star understands why the paparazzi might want his picture - or that of his sexy French wife Vanessa Paradis - but draws the line when it comes to his children. Johnny, 40, says, "We get the occasional paparazzi and I figure it this way - if you're going to get my family, just bring a long lens. Because if I am able to get my hands on you, it could get very ugly. I don't care if they take my photograph, although I don't know why anyone needs another picture of me, there are plenty out there. And I don't care if they take Vanessa's photograph - we're adults."
Movie Reviews: 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl'9 July 2003 (StudioBriefing) Critics, apparently enchanted by the performances of Johnny Depp and Geoffrey Rush in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, appear to be giving it a generous overall endorsement. Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times, for example, awards it three stars, even while writing that it would make "a nice little 90-minute B movie" but that at 143 minutes, it "outstays its welcome." Nevertheless, he continues, "the movie made me grin at times, and savor the daffy plot, and enjoy the way Depp and Rush fearlessly provide performances that seem nourished by deep wells of nuttiness." Similarly, Lou Lumenick concludes in the New York Post: "Trimming half an hour from this bloated, 143-minute blockbuster would have highlighted the film's treasures, not the least of which is Johnny Depp's endearingly eccentric performance." Elvis Mitchell in the New York Times calls Depp's comic performance a "balm, an antidote to the raucous battles and swashbuckling." And Geoff Pevere in the Toronto Star concludes that "it says something about the sheer perversity of Depp's counterclockwise turn in the movie that he's the movie's only unsinkable treasure." Ann Hornaday in the Washington Post agrees: "Depp is the single best reason to see Pirates of the Caribbean if you're past the age of 10," she writes. So does Jamie Bernard in the New York Daily News. "Depp's peculiar buccaneer is an instant classic of actorly charisma. His performance -- with kohl-smudged eyes, beaded beard and a constantly shifting center of gravity -- elevates "Pirates" to one of the summer's must-sees," Bernard comments. Bob Longino in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution calls it "the surprise movie of the summer" and remarks that Depp's performance "is nothing short of great." Carrie Rickey in the Philadelphia Inquirer probably has the best line of all in describing the film. It "brings new meaning to the term 'summer camp, '" she writes.
Depp's Upset at Ryder's Trial Treatment24 June 2003 (WENN) Blow star Johnny Depp has expressed his disgust at the way his ex-fiancee Winona Ryder was treated during her shoplifting trial. The Heathers beauty was sentenced to 480 hours of community service, three years' probation and charged thousands of dollars in fines last year, after she was caught shoplifting at Beverly Hills' Saks Fifth Avenue in 2001. And Depp, now settled with French singer and actress Vanessa Paradis, was horrified to see how she was handled during the very publicized trial. He says, "I haven't talked to Winona for a while. The way they dragged her through the... I would say mud, but it was broken glass..." But Depp is sure his ex-lover will bounce back in no time. He adds, "She's a good girl and she's also very strong. She'll make her way through it."
Depp's Golden Teeth23 June 2003 (WENN) Johnny Depp is sporting an impressive set of gold teeth - because he forgot to have them removed when filming wrapped on his new film Pirates Of The Caribbean. The actor had the gold teeth added for his pirate role in the blockbuster movie, but he was so keen to get back to his home in Paris, France, when shooting finished, he dashed off without getting the choppers removed. He says, "I meant to have them taken off but I left Los Angeles immediately after I finished the film and I forgot to take them off. I'll have them taken off next week." He admits he wasn't too keen to return to a dentist - he had a painful root canal operation while he was filming the project.
Last Days for Depp's Viper Room?2 May 2003 (WENN) Johnny Depp is on the verge of losing his hip Hollywood nightclub The Viper Room after being charged with fraud. The actor's former business partner Anthony Fox sued Depp back in 2001, claiming the Hollywood hunk cheated him out of millions of dollars through "shady accounting and fraud." Fox alleged that Depp cheated him by hiding assets in another company and took advantage of him. Fox then mysteriously disappeared and hasn't been heard of since, but the investigation into The Viper Room's "mismanagement" continued - and now a Los Angeles judge is close to ruling in the absent Fox's favor and shutting the place down. In a statement, officials report, "Defendant Depp breached his fiduciary duties to the corporation and to Fox as a minority shareholder. The facts establish persistent and pervasive fraud and mismanagement and abuse of authority." A final ruling is expected next week and if the preliminary ruling sticks, Depp will be forced to sell up. Meanwhile, Fox's disappearance remains an open investigation.
Moss and Hack Not Engaged10 March 2003 (WENN) Supermodel Kate Moss is denying reports she's planning to marry her publisher boyfriend Jefferson Hack - even though photographs clearly reveal a sparkly ring on her wedding finger. The British babe, who has previously been linked to Edward Scissorhands actor Johnny Depp, has no immediate intention of marrying long-term beau Hack. The 29-year-old says, "No, he hasn't proposed. I haven't thought about it. He's the sweetest man I've ever met - definitely."
Moss to Wed Her Child's Father19 February 2003 (WENN) Supermodel Kate Moss is getting married to long-term boyfriend Jefferson Hack. Moss and Hack already have a baby together, five-month-old Lila, and sparked speculation of a secret engagement on Valentines Day. The brunette, 29, was spotted on a shopping trip in north London wearing a Celtic-style silver ring on her left hand. According to Britain's celebrity magazine Heat, the wedding will take place towards the end of this year. The magazine editor and supermodel have been together for two years, but previously the super-slim stunner had a turbulent love-life. She was admitted to rehab after splitting with Hollywood actor Johnny Depp, before being linked to a string of hard drinking London party goers.
Love Blooms for Orlando's New Crush6 February 2003 (WENN) Lord Of The Rings heartthrob Orlando Bloom has found love - with Blue Crush beauty Kate Bosworth. The 26-year-old British actor bought Bosworth, 20, a 14-carat gold bracelet, which she wore, on the same night she received it, to dinner with Johnny Depp and Bloom's other co-stars in the upcoming adventure film Pirates Of The Caribbean. According to American magazine Us Weekly, the acting pair are currently holidaying in the Caribbean.
Gilliam Attempts to Buy Back Quixote Script4 February 2003 (WENN) Movie maker Terry Gilliam is fighting to buy back his Don Quixote script for a second attempt at the doomed movie after it was abandoned last year following a string of tragedies. The project's nightmares, including a storm which swept equipment away and the film's 70-year-old star Jean Rochefort's illness, are documented in a new documentary movie Lost In La Mancha. And despite the chaos surrounding the defunct project, Gilliam has found new investors and plans to have another go at making the film he's dreamt of bringing to the big screen. At the close of Lost In La Mancha, filmmakers Louis Pepe and Keith Fulton explain that former Monty Python star Gilliam is in negotiations with insurance bosses in a bid to buy back his script. It is not known whether the original members of the cast - celebrity couple Vanessa Paradis and Johnny Depp and Rochefort - will take part in the re- vamped project.
Hit Series '21 Jump Street' Set to Make Comeback2 December 2002 (WENN) The series that launched the career of hunky actor Johnny Depp is set to hit the big screen. A film version of crime drama 21 Jump Street will be written by series co- creators Stephen J. Cannell and Patrick Hasburgh in a deal potentially worth millions of dollars. And hot-shot moviemakers Paramount Pictures are set to make the picture. The series ran from 1987-1990 on Rupert Murdoch's Fox network featuring a group of police officers assigned to return to high school undercover, to crack crime.
'Pirates' Hit By Blaze12 September 2002 (WENN) A fire has hit the Hollywood set of Johnny Depp's new movie Pirates Of The Caribbean, causing $525,000 worth of damage. According to a Los Angeles Fire Brigade spokesman no one was injured in the blaze at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. The fire was extinguished after 50 minutes. The spokesperson says, "The cause is now under investigation, but it involved the set preparation and a type of foam that they carve into different shapes to use." A Disney source insists the fire won't hold-up production of the film - which co- stars Lord Of The Rings actor Orlando Bloom and Oscar- winner Geoffrey Rush. The flick is due to hit theatre screens next summer.
Gilliam Vows To Make Don Quixote Flick With Depp7 August 2002 (WENN) Twelve Monkeys director Terry Gilliam insists his ill-fated biopic of Don Quixote will eventually be made. The former Monty Python cartoonist had to abandon production on the film, which was set to star Johnny Depp, after a catalogue of disasters. F16s from a nearby Nato base made filming impossible by repeatedly flying over the set, while French actor Jean Rochefort, set for the role of Quixote himself, got a prostate infection and had to return to Paris. Finally a huge storm hit the set and carried off essential equipment. But Gilliam says Depp is on board for a reshoot if he can find $40 million and buy the script back from the German insurance company which now owns it. He says, "The film is in my head. I've watched it there thousands of times. I just want to get it out. All I know is that in September 2003, Johnny has a window in his film commitments, and all my efforts are concentrated towards that. We're gonna buy back the script, get the crew together, and probably recast some roles. But it's going to happen." A documentary, Lost In La Mancha, about the making of the film, hits cinemas around the world over the next few months. Gilliam's poor luck has been blamed on a Don Quixote curse, which also hit a previous effort to make a movie by Orson Welles, who died without ever realising his dream.
Producer Claims Osbournes Stole His Idea26 July 2002 (StudioBriefing) Producer Gary Binkow has filed suit against Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne, claiming that they stole his idea for the television show that has become MTV's The Osbournes. Binkow, who is currently exec producing the movie Neverland, starring Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Dustin Hoffman and Julie Christie, claims that he met with the Osbournes in 1999 and 2000 to discuss his idea and that he registered a copy of his original treatment with the Writers Guild of America in January 2000. It says, in part, that the show "will showcase the trials and tribulations of real-life rock star Ozzy Osbourne" and would present them in such a way that "the audience shouldn't really know if the show is scripted or not." Meanwhile, MTV sibling VH1 confirmed Thursday that it will air a 10-episode series from the home of Liza Minnelli and her new husband, David Gest, beginning in October. Each episode will take place at a dinner party thrown by the couple. In reporting on the new show, today's (Friday) New York Post called it "the weirdest attempt yet to clone the success of The Osbournes."
Jude Law Is New Superman26 July 2002 (WENN) Hunky British actor Jude Law is the new Superman - after beating off competition from Johnny Depp and Colin Farrell. The Talented Mr Ripley actor has been chosen by producers for the high-profile role in new movie Batman Vs. Superman - because he doesn't fit-in to the normal superhero stereotype. A source on the People news website reports, "They wanted to get away from the mega-muscled action stars." People News also claim that Farrell has bagged the part of Batman, despite reports that British star Christian Bale has signed up for the role. The film will be directed by Wolfgang Petersen, the man behind Air Force One, The Perfect Storm and the cult German submarine drama Das Boot.
Brad Moans Down Under25 July 2002 (WENN) Hollywood star Brad Pitt has upset residents of an Australian tourist resort - by refusing to shoot his new movie there. The movie star is moving Down Under for six months while he makes new film The Fountain, with Cate Blanchett and Johnny Depp, there. The film was due to be shot in studios on Queensland's Gold Coast - but according to British tabloid the Daily Mirror, Brad has been urging movie bosses to move the shoot to nearby Cairns, because he thinks the Gold Coast is "a shlocky tourist area". A source told the newspaper, "Brad, who was introduced to Cairns by Keanu Reeves said it had great food, great ambience and the locals leave you alone because they're used to big names." The Mexican star isn't the only big Hollywood name to disapprove of the West Coast resort. Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr.vowed never too return after shooting the Scooby-Doo movie on the Gold Coast.
Depp Is Ricci's Number One17 July 2002 (WENN) Christina Ricci's ideal man is her three-time co-star Johnny Depp. The stunning 22-year-old acted with Depp in Sleepy Hollow, The Man Who Cried and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. And while she knows he's off-limits as a married man, Ricci reckons the dark-haired star is definitely the coolest guy in Hollywood. She says, "He's the kindest, most loving man ever. There's nobody like him, because nobody can be that fabulous. I've worked with him three times and we have a lot in common. We don't like to talk to other actors while we're working and we just deal with the director. The impact Johnny had on people was amazing to watch. Forget the women - even the guys followed him around. They'd offer to carry his coffee cups, roll his cigarettes or wear a hat from his club The Viper Room. He's the coolest guy ever. That man is 39 and still looks 22. And to those people who might think I'm cool, I'd like to point out that I haven't slept with someone as cool as Kate Moss, like Johnny did. But he's strictly off limits to me. He's married and that rules him out. Also, the first time we met I was nine and he was already 27, so I can't imagine it."
Portman's Rocker Beau17 June 2002 (WENN) Star Wars beauty Natalie Portman has found love with a Los Angeles rocker. The Israeli-born actress has reportedly started dating Adam Levine, the frontman of Maroon 5. Levine, whose voice has been compared to Jamiroquai frontman Jay Kay, has just finished a club tour in the U.S., including Johnny Depp's The Viper Room on Sunset Boulevard. The five-piece recently supported Nikka Costa.
Johnny Depp Gets Voice Coach30 May 2002 (WENN) Hollywood hunk Johnny Depp has hired a voice coach to help him pick up a Scottish accent for his new movie Neverland. Depp was ridiculed after his attempt at a English 'cockney' accent in last year's Jack the Ripper murder flick From Hell. So he has hired the coach to help him perfect his Scottish twang, in time for his role as Peter Pan author J.M. Barrie alongside Kate Winslet in the movie - due for release next year.
Johnny Depp's A Father Again16 April 2002 (WENN) Johnny Depp is celebrating after his girlfriend Vanessa Paradis gave birth to their second child. The French singer, 29, is recovering from the birth at home after baby boy Jack arrived on 10th April in a hospital at Neuilly, just outside Paris. The bundle of joy weighed 7.05 pounds (3.2 kilos). The glamorous couple already have a two-year daughter Lily-Rose.
Britney's Body On Surgeons' Most Wanted List15 February 2002 (WENN) She may not be overjoyed with her own looks, but Britney Spears has a body most other women would pay for. The curvaceous pop siren has emerged as having the most popular body among women wanting plastic surgery. A survey by a pair of Beverly Hills surgeons found Britney's svelte figure and pert assets were the ideal among women seeking to enhance their own looks. Bizarrely, Britney has complained about her looks, saying she hates her feet, fingernails and nose. The same survey found women want Heather Graham's piercing eyes, Heather Locklear's cute nose, Halle Berry's cut-glass cheeks and Denise Richards' ample lips. The findings come from consultations with about 1,500 female patients during the past year, Doctor Richard Fleming, co-director of the Beverly Hills Institute Of Aesthetic & Reconstructive Surgery, says. Fleming, who conducts the annual survey with his partner, Doctor Toby Mayer, adds, "There is a limit. We have to deal with what we're presented. If Roseanne Barr comes in and wants to look like Britney Spears, I don't care, it's just not possible." Male patients also had their idols of good looks, with Hollywood hunk Brad Pitt leading the pack for best eyes, Oscar-winning Traffic star Benicio Del Toro named number one for best lips and Johnny Depp for best jaw. Russell Crowe has the most favored chin, while the newly muscular Will Smith tops the list for most desirable male body.
Depp And Paradis Expecting Again5 February 2002 (WENN) American actor Johnny Depp and French star Vanessa Paradis are expecting their second child. The couple, who already have a daughter, Lily Rose, 2, will welcome a new member of their family into the world this Summer. News that sexy singer and actress Paradis is expecting again surfaced after she pulled out of playing a prostitute in Anne Fontaine's new film Nathalie Ribout, which is due to shoot this Summer. Depp has also stated, "I haven't any film projects until after this summer. I chose to relax and to take care of Vanessa and my daughter Lily Rose." The happy couple lives in the South of France, in a village near St Tropez.
Demme Autopsy Inconclusive18 January 2002 (WENN) Film-maker Ted Demme's sudden death on Sunday was likely the result of "natural causes", according to the Los Angeles Coroner's Office. Toxicology tests and a thorough look at the burly 38-year-old's medical history - a process which could take several weeks - will now be conducted. Demme was pronounced dead Sunday at UCLA Medical Center in California. He had been brought to the hospital in full cardiac arrest after collapsing at a celebrity basketball game at nearby Crossroads School. The popular director of films such as the Denis Leary kidnapping satire The Ref, the Martin Lawrence and Eddie Murphy prison comedy Life and the hit Johnny Depp drug saga Blow had seemed destined to become as well-known and admired as his uncle, Oscar-winning director Jonathan Demme. A former football lineman in college, Ted Demme was less than six feet (1.8 meters) in height but, according to the coroner's office, "in excess of 200 pounds (90 kilograms)." He reportedly played basketball as often as five times a week. He was known to joke about his shape and size. In a 1998 interview with the Los Angeles Times he said, "It's an encouraging thing that studios are hiring, big, husky guys... We're the minority that has been deprived of work for years. The millennium will be good for the husky. Watch out, you skinny bums."
Depp's Amazing Lack Of Ego - And Fat18 January 2002 (WENN) Film-makers The Hughes Brothers were amazed by Johnny Depp while making new movie From Hell, because of his lack of ego - and fat. The movie-making siblings, Allen and Albert, marvelled at how humble their leading man and woman, Heather Graham, were - but were particularly amazed at how Depp's junk-food diet failed to impact on his waistline. Albert says, "You would think that there would have been egos but Johnny and Heather are really sweet people, and incredibly hard workers." Allen adds, "It's funny how skinny Johnny is, all he eats is Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonalds and crappy food! He's proud of it. He takes his shirt off, and there's not one bit of fat. He's 38-years-old and he looks like he's 25." However, Depp, who's married to sexy French star Vanessa Paradis, reveals the secret of his physique lies in his upbringing. "I was born and raised in Kentucky. I was weaned on pork fat and grease. It's part of my chemical make-up. I need it!"
Johnny Depp's New Drinking Den16 January 2002 (WENN) Hollywood heart-throb Johnny Depp is expanding his empire of drinking dens - by opening a trendy bar in the heart of London. Depp is to be a partner in The Column with former British soccer ace Lee Chapman. Depp has already run the hugely successful Man Ray bar in Paris, France, for several years, after setting up home in the city with long-term girlfriend Vanessa Paradis and daughter Lily-Rose. He also owns The Viper Room in Los Angeles, the scene of River Phoenix's tragic death. According to Britain's Daily Star newspaper, a source says, "The Column's managers hope to attract really trendy people - A-list stars and socialites."
Director Ted Demme Dies at 3815 January 2002 (WENN) Blow director Ted Demme has died at the age of 38. The filmmaker, who also worked in TV, was pronounced dead at the Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Centre in California Sunday. The cause of death has not yet been ascertained, although Lieutenant Cheryl Macwillie of the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office said Mr Demme had been rushed to hospital by paramedics in full cardiac arrest. Demme, whose uncle was Oscar-winning Silence Of The Lambs director Jonathan Demme, enjoyed the biggest film of his career with last year's Blow, starring Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz. This followed a number of smaller features, and extensive TV work, including Homicide: Life On The Street.
Director Ted Demme Dies Of Heart Attack At 3714 January 2002 (StudioBriefing) Ted Demme, who recently directed Blow, starring Johnny Depp and Penélope Cruz, died of an apparent heart attack after playing in a celebrity basketball game in Los Angeles. He was 38. His other films included Life, starring Eddie Murphy, Monument Avenue, starring Denis Leary and Billy Crudup, Beautiful Girls with Timothy Hutton and Uma Thurman, and The Ref with Denis Leary, Judy Davis and Kevin Spacey. The nephew of Oscar winner Jonathan Demme, the younger director had been preparing to helm the upcoming Nautica, starring Ewan McGregor and Heath Ledger.
Johnny Depp Makes Cameo Appearance On BBC Comedy Show14 December 2001 (StudioBriefing) While filming the movie From Hell in England last year, Johnny Depp became such a fan of the BBC comedy series Brilliant! that he asked to appear on the show. He does so on the season premiere, carried on BBC America at 8:00 Saturday night. In a sketch featuring regular cast members Paul Whitehouse and Mark Williams, Depp portrays an American movie star visiting the Suit You shop, where he is measured by suit salesmen Ken and Kenneth while being pestered with questions about his sex life. In a BBC press release, Depp is quoted as saying, "I got off a plane, sweating like some kind of hideous swine, and grabbed all my luggage and [raced] over to the BBC and went straight to the stage, not knowing the lines really well. With these guys, there's no way to be funny around them, so you just shut up and nod your head."
Johnny Depp Makes Guilty Confession16 November 2001 (WENN) Johnny Depp used a recent award ceremony to make a confession to pal Nicolas Cage - he once stole money from the actor. Nic let Johnny stay at his apartment when Depp was still a struggling thespian. And the two have been close pals ever since. When Cage was awarded the American Cinematheque Gala Tribute at a ceremony in Beverly Hills last month, Depp tried his best, but couldn't make the bash. Instead he sent a tape including a long overdue confession about the time they co-habited. Depp recalled one day when - hungry and completely broke - he rifled through Nic's drawers and found some Mexican money. He claims he traded it in for American dollars and used it to buy some food. Having kept his guilty secret for years, Johnny asked for Nic's forgiveness.
Billy Crudup Broadway-bound As Elephant Man9 November 2001 (WENN) American actor Billy Crudup is heading to New York's Broadway in a stage revival of The Elephant Man. The Almost Famous actor will play John Merrick, the disfigured Victorian-era character who appears briefly in the current Johnny Depp movie From Hell. Crudup is following in the footsteps of stars like David Bowie by refusing to use prosthetics to make himself appear disfigured, opting instead to contort his body. Performances of the show begin in New York in January - considered the worst possible time to open a Broadway play. But a defiant Crudup quips, "I like a challenge."
Johnny Depp And Nicolas Cage Battle For Ghost Rider Role7 November 2001 (WENN) Johnny Depp and Nicolas Cage's are battling it out for the coveted lead role in the live-action adaptation of the Ghost Rider comic book. The picture, which was slated to start this month, has been delayed until March or April - at least. Producer Steven Paul says, "Right now, we're focusing on mounting the story before we settle on a lead." At one time, Cage was so hot to star in the flick that, according to Paul, he contacted bosses just to let them know how much he wanted it. Paul explains, "He phoned me to say that he was the biggest Ghost rider fan in the world - and even flew in from Hawaii for meetings."
Hell Wins But Hath No Fury23 October 2001 (StudioBriefing) The Jack the Ripper thriller From Hell won the weekend box office race, but not by much, according to final ticket-sales figures released by Exhibitor Relations Monday. The Johnny Depp starrer earned a relatively mild $11 million, closely followed by Riding in Cars With Boys, starring Drew Barrymore, which took in $10.4 million. Training Day, starring Denzel Washington, which had held the top spot during the previous two weeks, dropped to third place with $9.3 million, while Bandits, starring Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thornton, slipped from second to fourth place with $8.3 million. The Robert Redford movie The Last Castle, which many analysts had expected to be the clear winner at the box office, earned a disappointing $7.1 million to open in fifth place. Both Bandits and The Last Castle appeal to older audiences -- a fact which may have contributed to their selling fewer tickets than expected. "When there are world events that affect people, the older, upscale audience is the one that's glued to CNN, that's glued to NBC," MGM chief Alex Yemenidjian told Bloomberg News. The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. From Hell, 20th Century Fox, $11,014,818, (New); 2. Riding in Cars With Boys, Sony, $10,404,652, (New); 3. Training Day, Warner Bros. $9,325,443, 3 Wks. ($57,283,521); 4. Bandits, MGM, $8,304,007, 2 Wks. ($24,884,979); 5. The Last Castle, DreamWorks, $7,088,213, (New); 6. Serendipity, Miramax, $5,446,446, 3 Wks. ($34,426,889); 7. Corky Romano, Disney, $5,307,985, 2 Wks. ($16,185,276); 8. Don't Say a Word, 20th Century Fox, $4,215,594, 4 Wks. ($47,885,454); 9. Iron Monkey, Miramax/Dimension, $3,190,010, 2 Wks. ($10,737,961); 10. Zoolander, Paramount, $3,135,854, 4 Wks. ($40,018,837).
Hell Has The Cutting Edge22 October 2001 (StudioBriefing) The box office again defied analysts' predictions as the Jack the Ripper movie From Hell edged out (only the pun in the headline was intended) Riding in Cars With Boys to nab bragging rights as the top ticket seller. The Last Castle, analysts' favorite to win, placed fifth. None of the films performed outstandingly. From Hell, which stars Johnny Depp, took in an estimated $11.3 million. Riding in Cars With Boys, which stars Drew Barrymore, took in about $10.8 million. The Last Castle was a clear disappointment with just $7.1 million. Training Day, which had held the top spot during the previous two weekends, slipped to third place with $9.5 million, while Bandits, which opened in second place last week, dropped to fourth with about $8.4 million. Still, the performance of From Hell was particularly striking given the judgment by numerous critics and analysts that the country was in no mood for fictional violence and blood after last month's real-life variety. "People know the difference between fantasy and reality," Exhibitor Relations chief Paul Dergarabedian told Bloomberg News. "They just want to be entertained." Ticket sales for the top 12 films totaled $74.5 million, up 3.7 percent from last year -- all of the rise attributable to higher ticket prices. The top ten films for the weekend, according to studio estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations: 1. From Hell, $11.3 million; 2. Riding in Cars With Boys, $10.8 million; 3. Training Day, $9.5 million; 4. Bandits, $8.4 million; 5. The Last Castle, $7.1 million; 6. Serendipity, $5.8 million; 7. Corky Romano, $5.3 million; 8. Don't Say a Word, $4.4 million; 9. Zoolander, $3.3 million; 10. Iron Monkey, $3.2 million. Performing well in limited release was Richard Linklater's Waking Life, in which the images of actors were painted over to give them the look of animated characters. Opening in just four theaters, the movie took in $88,000. Also doing well was Focus, starring William H. Macy and Laura Dern, which earned $26,000 at two New York City theaters.
Heather Graham Urges Fans To Go To The Movies22 October 2001 (WENN) From Hell actress Heather Graham is urging fans to keep filling the movie theatres - because it's an important distraction from the awful world news. Graham and co-star Johnny Depp were in Los Angeles to premiere their movie From Hell, while the New York premiere of Drew Barrymore's new movie Riding In Cars With Boys was cancelled. And although some people feel it's inappropriate to spend their time watching movies, Graham believes it's actually a great break from the news. She says, "It's too depressing to sit at home watching the news all day. It's good to go and see movies, be happy, and not to just think about it all of the time."
Movie Reviews: From Hell19 October 2001 (StudioBriefing) Jack the Ripper is back on the screen again -- and the jury is deadlocked over his exploits. Lou Lumenick in the New York Post calls From Hell, starring Johnny Depp, "an instant classic ... a gripping and stylish thriller. ... the classiest and best-acted slasher movie of all time." Not quite so enthusiastic is Chris Vognar, who writes in the Dallas Morning News: "An occasionally awkward mix of art film and slasher flick, From Hell manages to make its luridness intelligent enough -- and its intelligence lurid enough -- to send you home satisfied." On the other hand, Steven Rea in the Philadelphia Inquirer writes that the movie "is about as convincing as a visit to a theme-park haunted house."
Depp Boards Plane To Promote Movie9 October 2001 (WENN) Actor Johnny Depp abandoned his fear of flying following events on September 11th to make a 14-hour plane trip from Paris to America to promote his latest movie. Twentieth Century Fox said promotion for From Hell, starring Depp and Heather Graham, was never in doubt despite Depp's reluctance to fly. But Depp, who honored his commitment to publicize the film, was clearly anxious to get back home to France. He says, "For all of us here, it's already difficult to have to sit around and talk about movies in the midst of what's happening, especially after September 11 and, now, today. My immediate plans are to get back to my family to be with my girls, and then from there, I don't know. I can't say that I'm very comfortable putting my two-and-a-half-year-old daughter and my girl [Vanessa Paradis] on a plane." But on a lighter note Depp added, "Is this a movie that people should go see October 19? I don't know. We've gotta keep moving forward, and movies are escapism, and if people want to go and get out of reality for a couple of hours, why not?"
Depp Frantic In France20 September 2001 (WENN) Johnny Depp may never leave France - because he is terrified by the recent terrorist activities in America. And he is in regular contact with gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson for updates on the situation overseas. Depp, who portrayed the substance-abusing, pistol-packing writer in Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, called Thompson on Sunday to see what he knew about terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden. "I'm terrified of him," Thompson recalls Depp saying. "All of France is terrified. I freaked out and rushed to the airport, but when I got there my flight was cancelled. All flights to the U.S. were cancelled. People went crazy with fear." "Join the club," Thompson says he told the actor. "Almost everybody went crazy over here." According to Thompson the notoriously politically correct Depp, then brusquely said, "Never mind that. Who won the Jets-Colts game?" Thompson told him that pro sports, as well as the stock market, were on hold. "Ye gods," Thompson says the star exclaimed. "This is serious."
Ewan's Voted Number One16 August 2001 (WENN) Ewan McGregor has been voted Britain's coolest man. Ewan came in at the top of a poll by Esquire to find Britain's answer to Johnny Depp - who was voted America's trendiest man. Second in the list is Victoria Beckham's soccer star husband David, followed by Jude Law. Also in the top ten is British director Sam Mendes, of American Beauty fame.
Tara: Carson And I Are Over For Good2 August 2001 (WENN) Tara Reid has dismissed any hopes of getting back together with her former fiancee Carson Daly. The American Pie babe is philosophical about her recent split from MTV host Daly, insisting the relationship is history. She says, "I gotta admit that it's over for good. That book is closed forever. When it's not right, it's just not right." And she's already got some ideas about who she'd like to replace him as her boyfriend - when asked to reveal the identity of her dream man she says, "Johnny Depp. He's so hot. I've had the biggest crush on him forever."
Cage Beats Depp For Ghost Rider Role1 August 2001 (WENN) Nicolas Cage is set to star as the lead in the live action adaptation of the Ghost Rider comic book - but not before he ousted Johnny Depp from taking the role. Producer Steven Paul says that when Cage heard that Depp would be the likely candidate for the part, he phoned the director, insisting that he was the biggest Ghost Rider fan in the world - and even owned five Ghost Rider motorcycles. He is also reported to have declared, "I am the Ghost Rider!" Ghost Rider is a drama about a motorcycle stunt man who sells his soul to a dark force to save his girlfriend - but when tragedy befalls her, takes out his wrath on the bad guys. Filming is expected to begin in November.
Depp Is The Man For Us31 July 2001 (WENN) Hollywood has defended the casting of Johnny Depp as romantic English poet Lord Byron in a new film. British actor Jude Law turned down the role of the man who kept a bear as a pet at university and slept with his half-sister. Producer Billy Clark has said that only Depp was good enough to take on the complex part. The film Byron is likely to also star controversial actress Angelina Jolie as Byron's sister-lover. It won't be the first time an American has played the English poet. Richard Chamberlain played him in the 1972 movie Lady Caroline Lamb.
Wahlberg's French Connection26 July 2001 (WENN) Mark Wahlberg is considering following Johnny Depp's lead and setting up home in Paris, France. The movie star has just finished filming The Truth About Charlie, a remake of 1963's Charade, in the French capital and admits he has become enchanted by Paris. He says, "I would really consider moving there, but I would get fat and drink too much wine."
It Started With Johnny And Jenny12 July 2001 (WENN) Johnny Depp and Jennifer Love Hewitt are teaming up for the re-make of the 1940s comedy It Started With Eve. The $40 million flick is based around a son - played by Depp - who gets a girl to pose as his fiancee to please his dying father. But his plans are turned upside down when his father makes an unexpected recovery. Movie legend Albert Finney is being sought to play Depp's screen dad. The film is due to go into production in the fall.
Stars Go South For Desperado31 May 2001 (WENN) Cult director Robert Rodriguez's latest Western is to be a star- studded affair - with Hollywood A-listers Johnny Depp and Willem Dafoe lining up to star opposite Antonio Banderas. Desperado II: Once Upon A Time In Mexico is the follow-on to Rodriguez's classic Banderas and Salma Hayek film Desperado. Hayek, Mickey Rourke and pal Quentin Tarantino have also signed on the dotted line for already-in-production film, said to be based on Sergio Leone's classic The Good, The Bad And The Ugly.
Johnny Depp, Songsmith14 May 2001 (WENN) Dashing Hollywood star Johnny Depp is making an assault on the pop world - penning tracks for girlfriend Vanessa Paradis' new album. Depp has written two songs for Joe Le Taxi singer Paradis' new release - one about their daughter, Lily-Rose. Depp also bonded with the musical Gypsies who co-starred with him in the affecting new movie, The Man Who Cried. Director Sally Potter says the actor is "so immersed in Gypsy history. They hung out in his trailer all the time."
Martin Landau: Jim Carrey Is One Of Hollywood's Finest27 April 2001 (WENN) Veteran screen star Martin Landau is adamant Jim Carrey's new movie The Majestic will prove the funnyman is one of Hollywood's top actors. In the Frank Darabont film, Carrey plays a blacklisted writer in the 1950s who loses his memory in a car accident and finds a new home in a small town. Landau, who also stars in the film, says that its a world away from the Liar Liar star's trademark madcap antics. He explains, "He's going to raise a lot of eyebrows and surprise a lot of people. It's a pleasure to see him as a human being, a really complex character." Landau continues, "The first time I met Jim was at the premiere of The Mask. He told me he was trying to find something that would take him away from the stuff he does so well; the idea being that at the age of 60 he didn't want to still be playing zany kinds of roles." The Ed Wood star adds, "I've worked with a lot of young actors lately - John Cusack, Johnny Depp, Matt Damon, Woody Harrelson, Matthew McConaughey. "They're all very good, but this guy is at the head of the class."
Vanessa Paradis's Fears For Daughter18 April 2001 (WENN) Model Vanessa Paradis is scared about her daughter following her footsteps into showbusiness. The French beauty, who had one-year-old Lily-Rose with movie hunk Johnny Depp, admits that she is worried that her daughter will get the modelling bug, but says she would support her career decision. She says, "You can't say no to a child. I mean, you can say, 'Don't touch fire or you're going to burn yourself' - and that's what I do right now, because she wants to touch everything. But in the big decisions of your life, like 'Don't fall in love with that person because he's bad for you', you can't say that. You can't forbid somebody; you can only be there to help them. So I'll be really scared for her, I'll be worried, but I'll be there for her if she wants me."
Johnny Depp Snorts Laxative13 April 2001 (WENN) The fake cocaine Johnny Depp took on the set of his new movie Blow had some disastrous effects on his digestive system - because it was powdered baby laxative. Director Ted Demme admits the laxative upset Depp's stomach and made his nose run. He explains, "It was like we'd do one or two shots and then give Johnny massive amounts of tissues and towels to clear his head." He also admits the laxative, taken nasally, had the effect it was designed to have. He adds, "Fortunately we only had to do four takes of the snorting scenes."
Morgan Freeman Has Got The Blues11 April 2001 (WENN) Actor Morgan Freeman is following in the footsteps of Puff Daddy and Johnny Depp - by opening a club. The 63-year-old star is launching his blues music club this summer and promises to have the best blues artists America has to offer performing at weekends. Oscar-nominated Freeman describes his new club as "a traditional blues gut-bucket juke joint a la Robert Johnson or whoever else." And he says of the club, which will open in his hometown of Mississippi, "This is where the blues supposedly originated - we have people coming here from all over saying 'Where can we hear the blues.' There are already a couple of places, but they're not set - you may or may not get music on a particular night. So we're going to open a juke joint." Greeman adds, "We're going to run the blues into the ground until two o'clock in the morning. We're going to have guest groups come and an in-house band."
Spider Sneaks Up On Kids10 April 2001 (StudioBriefing) The new Morgan Freeman thriller Along Came a Spider was unable to scare up enough attention to unseat the family film Spy Kids from the top spot at the box office over the weekend, but it came close. Spider grossed $16.7 million, just $367, 000 less than Spy Kids. New Line's Blow, starring Johnny Depp as a cocaine kingpin, opened in third place with $12.4 million, while Warner's third Pokémon movie opened in fourth place with $8.2 million. The top 12 films grossed $81.8 million, up 12 percent from the same weekend a year ago. The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date): 1. Spy Kids, Miramax/Dimension, $17, 079, 114, ($48, 257, 162); 2. Along Came a Spider, Paramount, $16, 712, 407, (New); 3. Blow, New Line, $12, 443, 461, (New); 4. Pokémon 3, Warner Bros., $8, 240, 752, (New); 5. Someone Like You, 20th Century Fox, $5, 347, 702, ($17, 776, 720); 6. Heartbreakers, MGM, $5, 009, 640, ($29, 979, 511); 7. Enemy at the Gates, Paramount, $3, 353, 741, ($39, 214, 411); 8. The Brothers, Sony, $3, 006, 620, ($22, 488, 990); 9. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Sony Classics, $2, 820, 308, ($117, 525, 155); 10. Tomcats, Sony, $2, 811, 509, ($10, 953, 131).
Movie Reviews: Blow6 April 2001 (StudioBriefing) It's not receiving the same sort of effusive praise that Traffic did, but most critics are finding much to like about Ted Demme's Blow, starring Johnny Depp. Depp in particular is receiving fine notices for his performance as cocaine kingpin George Jung. Indeed, Joe Morgenstern in the Wall Street Journal suggests that Depp's performance may be too good for its own good. "He's the source of the movie's power, but also the emblem of its fundamental problem., " he writes. "With George being played by an actor of such effortless charm, no slime ever seems to adhere to this man of little demonstrable insight or ability." Critics are clearly divided over the character. On the one hand Lou Lumenick in the New York Post writes: "Rarely since the tale of the Corleones has a movie presented such a compelling, sympathetic portrait of a criminal lowlife." On the other hand, Stephen Hunter in the Washington Post comments, "You can't make an epic about a mouse." Likewise Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Time observes, "Johnny Depp is a versatile and reliable actor who almost always chooses interesting projects. The failure is George Jung's. For all the glory of his success and the pathos of his failure, he never became a person interesting enough to make a movie about." And Jay Carr in the Boston Globe remarks that "its hard to develop a rooting interest" in the character. Moreover, he adds, by "waffling on the moral issues, Blow, blew its chance to be an epic drug opera." But Chris Vognar in the Dallas Morning News suggests that the movie scores because it doesn't take the usual stand on drugs. "Blow walks a fine line between preaching against and celebrating the rapid rise of powder cocaine in the '70s. That it doesn't give in to either impulse goes a long way toward the film's success."
Blow Director To Give Jailed Drug Trafficker Private Screening6 April 2001 (WENN) Blow director Ted Demme and producer Denis Leary are to screen a private viewing of their film for a convicted drug trafficker. The movie-making pair are taking a copy of their new film up to Otisville Federal Correctional Institute in New York to enjoy a private view with its subject George Jung. Jung, one of America's most infamous drug traffickers and the man who takes credit for inventing the American cocaine market and Colombian connection in the late 70s and 80s, is played in the movie by Johnny Depp. And now Demme, who directed Depp in the movie, wants Jung to see exactly how they handled his life story. "It's just me and George, and the warden and Denis, " says Demme, who's been a friend of the 64-year-old prisoner since he and Leary first visited him in prison in 1994, after Leary read his story in the book Blow.
"It's Like A De Facto Strike"3 April 2001 (StudioBriefing) Hollywood actors, writers and other personnel who are not already employed on motion pictures will have to wait until new labor contracts are signed before they'll be able to work again, the Wall Street Journal observed today (Tuesday). The major studios had set March 30 as the last date for starting new productions pending an outcome of negotiations with the unions representing writers and actors. "Right now, it's almost like a de facto strike," casting agent Janet Hirshenson told the newspaper. Productions failing to make the deadline include Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, starring Johnny Depp and Basic Instinct 2, starring Sharon Stone.
Johnny Depp Wages War On Drugs At Viper Room2 April 2001 (WENN) Johnny Depp has waged a war on drugs at his Hollywood nightspot The Viper Room ever since movie star River Phoenix died from drugs on the pavement outside the club from drugs in 1993. Depp, who admits to years of drug taking himself, was working behind the bar the night Phoenix died, but hates the way the tragedy has left The Viper Rooms under a constant cloud of drugs. Depp says, "The club took a lot of heat for something it had nothing to do with." And Depp, who has now passed the management of the club over to his childhood pal Sal Jenco, says he'll still personally take action if he ever sees anyone taking drugs there, recalling a time a couple of years ago when he threw two patrons out when he discovered them preparing to snort cocaine in the lavatories. He says, "After what happened to River, that they thought it was okay to do that really put me in a hideous rage."
Shannon Elizabeth's Crush On Johnny Depp30 March 2001 (WENN) Shannon Elizabeth has a huge crush on Johnny Depp and would love to play his love interest in a film. The sexy American Pie star believes Depp is the one person in the world she'd most like to kiss and is desperately trying to land a movie role opposite him. She says, "I'm just a big fan. I think he's beautiful and I think he's a great actor. I'd like to play his love interest. I just think he's really good and he's got a great attraction about him." The sultry Texan-born star also admits she's a firm believer in one night stands. She explains, "You may never get the chance again. You don't want to be 80-years-old and look back and regret not having taken a chance."
Depp Speaks Of Joy At Baby's Birth26 March 2001 (WENN) Hollywood star Johnny Depp has described seeing his baby daughter for the first time as "the best moment" of his life. The star's French girlfriend - former pop star Vanessa Paradis - gave birth to the couple's daughter Lily-Rose in 1999. He says, "I'm still the same person I was before I had my daughter. But meeting her for the first time was the best moment I ever had in my life. I'm not a particularly selfish, self-obsessed guy, but it was the first moment I had experienced total selflessness."
Julia And Eric Roberts Prepare To Come Face To Face22 March 2001 (WENN) Estranged brother and sister Julia and Eric Roberts will meet for the first time in 10 years - at the premiere of Johnny Depp's new movie Blow. The pair will be putting their differences aside to support Eric's daughter - Julia's niece - Emma Roberts, who makes her acting debut in the movie. Despite the fact Julia and Eric no longer talk, Eric's daughter Emma is very close to her Oscar-nominated Aunt, because she is close friends with Emma's mother Kelly Cunningham. But although Eric has vowed to be civil, he admits he's unlikely to exchange any words with his sister. He says, "I doubt we will talk. There's nothing to say. But I am enormously proud of my daughter. This is the first film she's done. She always reads her own scripts. I asked her why she chose this one, thinking she would tell me it was because she liked Johnny Depp. And she looked at me and said, 'Daddy, I get to say the 'f' word four times.' It was hysterical."
Penelope Cruz Has A "Wonderful Life"15 March 2001 (WENN) Rising Spanish star Penelope Cruz is ecstatically happy with her "wonderful life". The actress has been fortunate enough to appear opposite a host of Hollywood hunks, including Tom Cruise, Matt Damon and Johnny Depp - and the Vanilla Sky leading lady says that she's as happy as can be at the moment. She says, "I think I do my best to enjoy what I have. We all want to be happy. I honestly think I have a wonderful life. However, Cruz, soon to be seen in Captain Corelli's Mandolin, has got one cloud on the horizon - over work due to her demanding nature. She adds, "I think I'm too hard on myself. I demand too much of myself in my work."
Outfest Launches Screen Idol Awards14 March 2001 (StudioBriefing) Outfest, which stages an annual gay and lesbian film festival in July, is conducting an online vote for the best performances in gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender roles. On Tuesday, Outfest posted a list of nominees for its first Outfest Screen Idol Awards. They included in the actor category: Johnny Depp for Before Night Falls; Robert Downey Jr., Wonder Boys; Dan Futterman, Urbania; and Stuart Wells, Billy Elliot. In the actress category: Ellen DeGeneres, Chloë Sevigny and Vanessa Redgrave for If These Walls Could Talk 2; Julianna Margulies, What's Cooking; and Maria Schrader, Aimee & Jaguar. Winners will be announced on April 20.
Sarah Jessica Parker: "I Hate Acting With Beautiful People"14 March 2001 (WENN) Actress Sarah Jessica Parker hates sharing the screen with attractive co-stars because they always makes her feel ugly. The diminutive Sex And The City star admits she was depressed after starring alongside Johnny Depp in Ed Wood because even when he was dressed in drag she felt the actor was more beautiful than her. She says, "I'm not particularly proud of how I look. I've never been what Hollywood considers beautiful. It would be so great to look like Andie MacDowell. She beat me to the lead role in Four Weddings And A Funeral seven years ago. She's so beautiful I'd have hired her."
Wanna Buy Rob Lowe's Nose?12 March 2001 (WENN) A group of Hollywood plastic surgeons says the ideals of male and female beauty are a Frankensteinian mish-mash of borrowed parts. This concept of perfection comes from the Beverly Hills Institute of Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, based on nearly 1,000 patient consultations over the last year and the celebrity body parts the surgeons were asked to duplicate. Tops on the female popularity scale were Nicole Kidman's nose, Kim Basinger's lips, Winona Ryder's eyes, Jennifer Lopez's cheeks, Dandra Bullock's chin and Salma Hayek's body. Runners up in the body category were Elizabeth Hurley and Angelina Jolie, while Angelina came in 5th in lips. And on the scales of male vanity, men were requesting Rob Lowe's nose, Brad Pitt's lips, Harrison Ford's jawline, Tom Cruise's eyes, Johnny Depp's cheeks, and the surprise winner in the body category was Matthew McConaughey. Doctor Richard Fleming, the institute's co-director, says the features most requested are of stars who are the "flavor of the moment." But if you're dying for a combo of these ideals, Fleming says that major overhaul packages were starting as low as $35, 000.
Johnny Depp Renounces America8 March 2001 (WENN) Hollywood heartthrob Johnny Depp has rejected his native America - to settle permanently in Europe. The Chocolat star, 37, is currently residing in Paris with his beautiful actress-singer girlfriend Vanessa Paradis, who is mother to his toddler Lily Rose - and the hunky actor wants to keep it that way for his family's sake. He says, "I would never raise my daughter in America. There's been another school shooting by some kid in a desperate plea for his situation. That shows the pure selfishness and ignorance in America." Johnny adds, "I feel much comfortable in Europe. You can have some distance from 'The Beast' over here."
Chocolat Author Hungry For Hollywood15 February 2001 (WENN) Acclaimed Chocolat author Joanne Harris is writing her first film script. The English novelist is the toast of Hollywood after her best- selling book Chocolat was adapted into a hit film starring Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche. Chocolat has been nominated for a string of Oscars including Best Picture and Best Actress for Binoche's performance as Vianne Rocher - but now Harris is now determined to make her own mark in Tinseltown. Harris says, "At the moment I have just finished my new novel which is called The Coastliners and should be out next year. I'm adapting it into a screenplay which hopefully I should finish shortly. I always write my books in a very visual way, which is ideal for movies. I don't know yet whether I can write a screenplay, but it struck me as being fun to try it. I wouldn't have tried to have adapted Chocolat myself. I hadn't even read a screenplay at that time and Robert Jacobs did a really good job anyway."
Binoche Stood Up By Depp14 February 2001 (WENN) Actress Juliette Binoche was left standing in the cold after being stood up by Johnny Depp at the launch of their new film. Depp failed to appear at the London premiere of Chocolat Monday night. Depp, 37, was believed to be in London then - although he lives in France with model girlfriend Vanessa Paradis - but did not make the champagne pre-party, film premiere or even the after-party. Friends speculate that he wants to avoid controversy. A pal says, "The last time Johnny came to London [for the premiere of Sleepy Hollow] he got mixed up in some crazy situation with some snapper. He got in a fight and things went crazy." But Binoche, 36, harbored no ill feelings, describing Depp as "my perfect chocolate - he's dark, sumptuous and tasty".
Johnny Depp's Oscar Horrors13 February 2001 (WENN) Johnny Depp's first and only Oscar experience was so dreadful he hijacked fellow actor Harrison Ford's chauffeur to help him escape. Johnny, 37, remembers his Oscar presentation appearance with horror and hopes he never has to go through anything as traumatic ever again. He says, "Everyone was on a first name basis, really famous people were coming up and saying, 'Hi Johnny, how you doing?' I'd never met them before. It was so weird, and then they wanted me to read this endless speech but I thought I may pass out from nerves. So I said just two sentences and then said, 'Please welcome Neil Young' and I left immediately. As soon as I was off stage I said to my agent, 'I've gotta get out of here' but we couldn't find our driver. So we actually stole Harrison Ford's limousine. We told his driver he had an hour and a half to get back. It was an awful experience."
Kate Moss Makes A Meal Of It30 January 2001 (WENN) Original super-waif Kate Moss is finally ditching her thin-framed look for a curvier body. The stunning model appears in a new advertising campaign for designer clothing company GUCCI, and according to the New York Post she's nearly unrecognisable. The paper claims Kate - who's dated the likes of Johnny Depp - looks 20 pounds heavier while lounging on a bed "like an Estonian hooker in skimpy lingerie and high heels". But the British babe's agents deny their charge has put on any weight. Her agent at Storm in London says, "She is not huge. I can assure you she's not gained any weight." Moss might say there's more to love. She was recently spotted in London canoodling with Welsh actor Rhys Ifans. This weight controversy comes in the wake of celebrity anti-dieting activist Kate Winslet admitting that she had started a diet to take off weight gained during her pregnancy because she would have a hard time getting movie roles if she did not.
Depp Set To Play Mind Games25 January 2001 (WENN) Johnny Depp is in talks with director Bryan Singer to star in the drama Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002). Mike Myers had been due to star in the fictitious account of the secret life of gameshow host Chuck Barris, who claimed he was a CIA hitman. The Canadian actor eventually pulled out to consider working on a Pink Panther remake. The move to recruit Depp has caused ripples in movie circles, as it was widely believed Ben Stiller and John Cusack were the favorites to nab the part. Depp is still unconfirmed for the role.
Phoenix Drug Use Was Talked About5 January 2001 (WENN) Film director Peter Bogdanovich has sensationally revealed that River Phoenix's drug habit was the talk of the set of Thing Called Love, The (1993), the late star's last film. Phoenix, 23, died of a massive drug overdose on Halloween 1993 outside the Viper Room, a club part-owned by Johnny Depp, on Hollywood Boulevard Bogdanovich who romanced tragic Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten says that Phoenix had boundless talent, but a propensity for delving into - and almost becoming - the characters he played. The director approached Phoenix during filming when talk of the actor's possible drug use began. Phoenix denied having a drug problem claiming that he "didn't even eat meat". Phoenix played a country singer trying to make it in Nashville in the 1993 film, which co-starred Samantha Mathis, Dermot Mulroney and Sandra Bullock. Bogdanovich says, "The irony was that the more brilliantly convincing River was in playing a self-involved, arrogant, drug- savvy, talented singer-songwriter, the more people believed that was River."
Depp Modelled Himself On Macgowan18 December 2000 (WENN) Hollywood superstar Johnny Depp modelled himself of troubled ex-Pogues singer Shane MacGowan for his latest movie role. Depp insisted on playing his role in the new comedy Chocolat (2000) with a broad Irish accent. The actor idolises legendary hellraiser MacGowan, and was once in the frame to play him in a biopic. A Hollywood source says, "It might seem a bit strange for Johnny To be playing a French gypsy with an Irish accent, but it works, and that's all that matters. Like Shane, the character is a bit of a rebel, a bit of an outsider, a bit of a lovable rogue. Johnny has known Shane for years and has never made any secret of his admiration for him and for all things Irish."
Johnny Depp Returns To His True Love12 December 2000 (WENN) Movie star Johnny Depp returned to his first true love of playing music when he serenaded star Juliette Binoche in the upcoming film, Chocolat (2000). Before acting ever came into the picture, Depp was an aspiring rock musician who played electric guitar in a local Florida band called The Kids, opening for such acts as punk rocker Iggy Pop. He says, "When I was a pre-teen and I picked up the guitar for the first time that was life changing. It put me on a road and helped me to discover who and what I was. To be able to do something that is so close to me in terms of playing the guitar, it's one of the true loves of my life so the opportunity to do it in the film was very welcome." During his rock n' roll beginnings, the underage star had to be let into the clubs through the back door and was allowed to remain for the first set only. The Kids disbanded when they relocated to Los Angeles, and found the competition too fierce.
Johnny Depp's Chocolate Torture7 December 2000 (WENN) Johnny Depp can't bring himself to face chocolate - after being force fed rich truffles on his latest film Chocolat (2000). Depp admits he was almost sick after munching his way through scene after scene of dark chocolate with co-star Juliette Binoche in the film directed by Lasse Hallstrom. He says, "I ate more chocolate than I wanted to. About three seconds more in the take and I probably would have been spewing." He fared better than actor Alfred Molina, who was sick after filming a scene where his character has a chocolate orgy. "I was sick as a pig, " Molina says. "Not on screen, the day after, but it was worth it."
Johnny Depp's Farty Humour4 December 2000 (WENN) Penelope Cruz and Johnny Depp had a deep connection on the set of their latest movie Blow (2001) - they love fart jokes. The pair spent all their time between takes fooling around with whoopee cushions, catching unsuspecting crew members out with their humour. Cruz admits, "The more absurd the better. Silly things like this whoopee cushion. I love it! I just want to do it to everybody, but people seem to know it so well." And Cruz is so fond of Depp she's developed a special name for her acting pal. She says, "He has an amazing heart. Johnny is so special that he is like a Martian. In fact that's what I call him - Martian."
Christina Ricci Loves Working With Depp27 October 2000 (WENN) Sexy 20-year-old actress Christina Ricci has a strong relationship with movie star Johnny Depp. The pair first met when a young Ricci starred in Mermaids (1990) with Winona Ryder, Depp's then fiancee. Since then she starred with the hearth throb in Tim Burton film Sleepy Hollow (1999). But she is not sure she could do it again. Theactress says, "We work well together and get along so well it's comfortable..." I don't know if we could work together again. It might get a little crazy. He is so protective of me, like an older brother, that it's a bit weird to be faking having sex with him. But we know each other well enough to laugh about it... He always joked about us rooting round like pigs." Of course there were rumours the pair were a couple, which Ricci loved. "I really liked it, " she says surprisingly. It was awesome - my first tabloid story. If you're going to have a tabloid story written about you, it might as well be with Johnny Depp."
Quixote Filming Is Halted When Star Is Injured26 October 2000 (StudioBriefing) Terry Gilliam's The Man Who Killed Don Quixote has been put on indefinite hold after veteran French actor Jean Rochefort, who plays Quixote, was forced out of the production after suffering a herniated disk. The movie began shooting in Spain on Oct. 1. The British entertainment news site Ananova said Wednesday that the producers are now looking to restart in January, whether or not Rochefort is fit by then. The $32-million film, produced by France's Studio Canal Plus, costars Johnny Depp as a modern-day man who is sent back to the 17th century where Quixote mistakes him for his sidekick, Sancho Panza.
Gilliam's Labor Of Love Near Collapse26 October 2000 (WENN) Director Terry Gilliam is fighting for the life of his brainchild movie Man Who Killed Don Quixote, The (2001). Only six weeks into shooting, the updated version of Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra's classic book is struggling to survive after leading man Jean Rochefort suffered a double disc hernia. Gilliam spent years raising the required $48 million from European sources to avoid dealing with Hollywood. Now sources claim filming is unlikely to recommence before January and the movie is officially "on hold" until the completion bond company decides its fate later this week (OCT00). The anxious cast include Johnny Depp and his girlfriend Vanessa Paradis, Miranda Richardson, Christopher Eccleston and Peter Vaughan.
Brad Pitt Sings On New Album24 October 2000 (WENN) Brad Pitt is to make his singing debut on a new charity album. Hollywood Goes Wild aims to raise money for the Los Angeles Wildlife Waystation animal rescue charity in California. Other well-known names to appear on the album include Russell Crowe, Bruce Willis, Keanu Reeves, Billy Bob Thornton and Johnny Depp. The album has taken two years to put together and is set to be released in stateside in February. Executive producer Mark Fine praised Jeff Goldblum, who sang and wrote Born Freaky, a "bebop/big bad animal motif tune in the spirit of Born Free (1966)" which begins with a 30-second beatnik rap.
Johnny Depp Finds Filming A Drag20 October 2000 (WENN) Johnny Depp's pulled a gender bending switching for his new film Before Night Falls (2000) - and he's loving it. Johnny plays the dual roles of a military officer and a transvestite in the film, and has spent hours wearing lipstick and learning how to walk in high heels. A crew member on the set says Depp makes a very convincing woman. He says, "During the filming, Johnny walked and talked like a woman. He's a great actor with a tremendous range."
Johnny Depp's Daughter Is Bilingual11 October 2000 (WENN) 15-month-old Lily-Rose, daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, is a child prodigy - she is already bilingual. French actress and singer Vanessa says that she and Johnny Love to talk to Lily - in their own languages. She says, "We talk to her in French and English and she understands both. She is 15 months old, and she talks, walks, sings, dances and runs... She is absolutely great. I have never seen someone so cute in my whole life." And after 15 months of motherhood, the beautiful star is more besotted with her baby than ever. She adds, "To come home in the evening after a day of work, and to see the light in my daughter's eyes, nothing is more beautiful in life."
Curtis And Gilliam Honored At Sitges 200011 October 2000 (WENN) Tony Curtis and Monty Python's Terry Gilliam have been honored with Lifetime Achievement awards at the SITGES 2000 International Film Festival. Curtis, 75, received the General, a new award made to a "renowned celebrity in international cinema" marking over 50 years in the business. The veteran star said, "I'm not a survivor of cinema's golden age because I'm still very much alive and kicking." Gilliam took a break from filming Man Who Killed Don Quixote, The (2001) with Johnny Depp and girlfriend Vanessa Paradis to collect the Time Machine award for fantasy cinema.
Ed Burns Romances Christy Turlington10 October 2000 (WENN) Edward Burns has bounced back from his split with Heather Graham into the arms of supermodel Christy Turlington. According to New York Daily News columnist Mitchell Fink, Burns is now seeing Turlington, who Fink claims secretly broke off her five year relationship with actor Jason Patric last summer. And Graham isn't wasting any time in finding a new man either - in fact, she's found two. The svelte blonde star is reportedly being romanced by Heath Ledger and Rufus Sewell, who are both starring in Knight's Tale, A (2001), currently filming in Prague, where Graham is shooting From Hell (2001) with Johnny Depp.
Johnny Depp Writes To Charles Manson27 September 2000 (WENN) Hollywood star Johnny Depp has been forced to write a begging letter to imprisoned murderer Charles Manson - in order to set up a meeting and research his latest project. Depp is to play the infamous killer and tell the story of his murderous exploits in his latest movie, which Hollywood insiders claim is set to stir up controversy. Depp is insisting he set up a meeting with Manson, 64, in Corcoran State Prison, California where the convicted killer is serving a life sentence. But, in order to get the interview, Depp has been forced to pen a begging letter to Manson urging him to meet up with the star for research purposes. A spokesman at the Prison says, "It is totally up to Manson whether or not Johnny Depp gets the visit he wants. Mr Depp will have written directly to Manson and if he wants the meeting to take place, he will send a visitor's pass and Mr Depp can come in here. It is possible he will say 'yes', although he doesn't have a lot of visitors. Like I say, it is up to him." Depp says, "I just want to get to know him better."
Heather Graham And Rufus Sewell A Couple?21 September 2000 (WENN) Heather Graham has apparently struck up a relationship with Brit actor Rufus Sewell despite being linked to Aussie hunk Heath Ledger. The pair were seen stroking each others hands and arms at The Ivy restaurant in London on Monday night while Elton John and Janet Street-Porter, the editor of The Independent on Sunday looked on. An onlooker says, "It was fascinating to watch them. They arrived separately but got stuck in as soon as they were seated. "They didn't take any notice of anyone else despite the fact that someone was sitting between them." Both stars have been making films in the Czech Republic with Rufus working on Knight's Tale, A (2001) while Heather has been working on a Jack The Ripper film, From Hell (2001) with Johnny Depp.
Vanessa And Johnny Are Better People With Child16 August 2000 (WENN) Stars Vanessa Paradis and Johnny Depp have become better people since they became parents. The French star and her Hollywood boyfriend admit since having daughter Lily-Rose they've had to change their priorities. Paradis explains, "Having a child makes you a better person because you have to be less selfish. There's not so much time for you and there's so much time for her, which she deserves. As much as you want to teach your kids, they teach you so much about being real, being innocent, being happy." And she admits her boyfriend has learned as much as she has about parenthood. She adds "Johnny is the best dad. He's an amazing human being and as he's as good a person as he is a father."
Bullock Biggest "Bad Career Move" Bungler In Hollywood19 July 2000 (WENN) Sandra Bullock is the top bungler in Hollywood, closely followed by Tom Selleck and Leonardo DiCaprio - according to a new survey. An American showbusiness TV channel quizzed film fans and industry insiders about the worst career decisions made by Hollywood stars - and produced this select top three. Bullock grabbed top spot for her decision to appear in Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997), after original co-star Keanu Reeves turned down the film flop - with Selleck coming second for refusing the role of Indiana Jones, eventually successfully portrayed by Harrison Ford. DiCaprio claimed third spot for his failure follow up to Titanic (1997), Beach, The (2000) - with Johnny Depp, Halle Berry, Bo Derek and John Travolta - who missed out on Good Will Hunting (1997), Jackie Brown (1997) and As Good As It Gets (1997) - also appearing high up in the Top 20.
Polanski Sued18 July 2000 (WENN) Movie director Roman Polanski has been accused of "brazenly" pocketing over $960, 000 in production money from his latest film. The CHINATOWN film-maker is being sued for fraud and breach of contract in Los Angeles over Ninth Gate, The (1999), which starred Johnny Depp and Emmanuelle Seigner. Polanski has been wanted as a fugitive for two decades in America on charges of statutory rape.
Funny-Guy Depp4 July 2000 (WENN) Hollywood hunk Johnny Depp has finally fulfilled his dream - by appearing on British comedy The Fast Show. The Sleepy Hollow (1999) actor filmed a sketch with funny-men Paul Whitehouse and Mark Williams on Sunday, after pleading with the team to let him appear in the series. A spokesman for the comedy series says, "He flew into London to do it, they all had a great laugh. The audience loved it and there was a lot of excitement in and around the studio when he was there."
Johnny Depp Interrupts Blow With Fart Machine21 June 2000 (WENN) Johnny Depp played the joker on the set of his new movie Blow (2000) - and was especially fond of his fart machine. The Sleepy Hollow (1999) actor has just finished shooting the drug smuggling movie with Penelope Cruz and the Spanish actress admits he was a laugh-a-minute. She says, "Johnny is the funniest man. I don't think people know this but he is always the joker. And the All About My Mother (1999) actress says Depp would got most amused by letting off his whoopee cushion in the middle of dramatic scenes. She says, "You know, I am screaming, pulling at my hair. All of a sudden I hear 'pfgggggggg' and I think 'Incredible, just ignore it.' But it comes again and I start smiling. Then everybody laughs." Now Cruz admits she has her own whoppee cushion, and adds, "I think we may have created a monster."
Sex And The City Star Feels Ugly31 May 2000 (WENN) Sexy actress Sarah Jessica Parker has always felt ugly - so she's not surprised she lost a movie role to ANDIE MACDOWELL. And the SEX AND THE CITY star, famed for her svelte figure, insists that even a man - Johnny Depp dressed in drag - looks better than her. She explains, "I'm not particularly proud of how I look. I've never been what Hollywood considers beautiful... It would be so great to look like Andie Macdowell. She beat me for the part in Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994). She's so beautiful, I'd have hired her, too." She adds, "When I was in Ed Wood (1994), where Johnny Depp plays a cross- dresser, that was depressing because in drag he was more beautiful than me."
Susan LYNCH Lands Latest Ripper Role9 May 2000 (WENN) Susan Lynch will play an alcoholic lesbian opposite Johnny Depp and Heather Graham in a new JACK The Ripper biopic. The Waking Ned Devine (1998) actress fears it will be the darkest role of her career - because she has to spend most of the movie drunk and she's eventually murdered by The Ripper She says, "It starts filming in June in Prague and it's a wonderful script, and Johnny Depp is heading the cast. I play LIZ STRIDE and I'm an alcoholic - I get killed when I'm p**sed... She's a prostitute who happens to be a lesbian. It's a very interesting character. I'm looking forward to going to Prague as I've never been... I get killed three quarters of the way through the movie... All the female parts in the movie are very interesting. I was reading for another character in the auditions but I fell in love with Liz. She's really unconventional."
Stars Lay Down Tracks For Animals26 April 2000 (WENN) Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt and other stars will lend their musical support to a project to raise funds for a troubled animal refuge. The WILDLIFE WAYSTATION, an animal refuge in suburban Los Angeles that was shut down on April 7, will benefit from the scheme. According to the LOS ANGELES TIMES, the California Department of Fish and Game ordered the home to close until it makes improvements in its facilities, but waystation director MARTINE COLLETTE says while it's closed, she can't generate revenue to pay for the upgrade. Internet philanthropist TONY JONES is coming to the rescue with HOLLYWOOD GOES WILD, a CD featuring music by Willis and Pitt, as well as Johnny Depp, Billy Bob Thornton and several other actors. Executive producer MARK FINE says $1 from the sale of each CD will be donated to the refuge, and promoters are planning to feature some of the artists in a benefit concert in September.
Penelope Cruz Becomes The Face Of Ralph Lauren21 April 2000 (WENN) Stunning Spanish actress PENELOPE CRUZ has been snapped up as the face of a top fashion house. Ralph Lauren has chosen the beautiful star to front their new advertising campaign. Although details of the length of the contract are as yet unavailable, a spokesperson has confirmed she will be fronting their new ads for the rest of the year. A source says, "She's incredibly beautiful and has the perfect look for Ralph Lauren." The news follows the actress wowing audiences at this year's Oscars by wearing a beautiful blue creation by the top designer. The move will help Cruz's rise to fame in Hollywood, she's already being coined as 'the next big thing' and has just finished shooting Blow (2000) with Johnny Depp.
Johnny Depp Will Star In Last Ever "Fast Show"20 April 2000 (WENN) Hollywood actor Johnny Depp's dreams have come true - he's to star in the last ever episode of his favourite British television comedy THE FAST SHOW. Since revealing that he's the world's biggest fan of the comedy - Depp's bombarded the show's creator, Paul Whitehouse, with telephone calls and insisted on meeting face-to-face. And his efforts have paid off. Whitehouse says he's written a part for the Sleepy Hollow (1999) star in the last ever episode of "The Fast Show" (1994) - due to screen later this year. The actor will star in the legendary SUITS YOU sketch from the comedy show. Whitehouse explains, "He'll either play himself or just an American who's wandered inadvertently into the Suits You shop. We're just going to abuse him - saying what he may or may not do to women. Just anything that comes out of our poisonous minds really." But Whitehouse admits he was wary when Depp called him on the phone - "I was suspicious about at first because you get all kinds of weirdos on the phone. But then we met up and I matched the voice to the face and it was Johnny Depp."
Fans Angry As Depp Takes Burns Role From Mcgregor4 April 2000 (WENN) The decision to cast American actor Johnny Depp to play ROBERT BURNS in CLARINDA - a film about the poet's life - has angered fans of the Scottish poet. The Scots had hoped Scottish actor EWAN McGREGOR would take on the role but McGregor, who is currently in Australia working on the next STAR WARS instalment, can't fit it into his schedule. But producer James Cosmo, who received backing from Scottish aristocrats THE EARL OF CAITHNESS and LORD SINCLAIR for the $27 million movie, believes Depp is "vital to production because of his international appeal." The movie focuses on a love story between Burns and the estranged wife of a Glasgow lawyer who inspired the poet's AE FOND KISS.
Conman's Link With Burns Film3 April 2000 (WENN) A convicted conman is behind plans to make a film about ROBERT BURNS with Johnny Depp tipped for the lead role. The $28 million movie project - launched two years ago - has hit trouble, with questions being asked about fraudster ERIC ROWAN, who is director of film company ALLOWAY PRODUCTIONS. Rowan was jailed for five years in 1983 for fraud and three years in 1995 after admitting conspiracy to steal cars. And it is feared that now Rowan's role in making the film has been revealed, investors made be scared off by his criminal past. But Rowan says "A man's past should be little barrier to his future. I've written the soundtrack for this and some of the biggest artists in the world are falling over themselves to get on it. " Hollywood names including Emma Thompson, Robert Carlyle and EWAN McGREGOR have been tipped to play in the movie, for which the working title is CLARINDA.
Depp To Portray Scottish Poet Burns27 March 2000 (WENN) Fans of Scottish poet ROBERT BURNS are incensed he will be portrayed in a film by the American actor Johnny Depp. The role in the movie to be directed by Vadim Jean had been expected to go to Scottish actor EWAN MCCGREGOR. But Scottish producer James Cosmo picked Sleepy Hollow (1999) star Depp to maximise the film's worldwide box-office appeal. Mr Cosmo says, "The poetry of Burns has an international resonance and this is by no means a small film. We need a guy who is hugely charismatic, as Burns was."
Johnny Depp's Girlfriend Is Expecting Their Second Child21 March 2000 (WENN) Actor Johnny Depp's girlfriend, French singer turned actress Vanessa Paradis is expecting their second child at the end of the summer. According to French magazine VOICI, the French beauty is pregnant again - only 8 months after giving birth to their daughter LILY-ROSE in May of last year. Both have admitted their daughter has changed their lives. Paradis says, "Of course I want Lily-Rose to have lots of little sisters and brothers. Many." She adds, "I have a life that I would have never dared dreaming of. I would have thought I was asking for far too much." The pair are living in Los Angeles at the moment, but should be back in Paris for Lily-Rose's birthday on 27 May.
Hawthorne To Play Jack The Ripper15 March 2000 (StudioBriefing) Nigel Hawthorne (The Madness of King George (1995)) is close to signing a deal to play Jack The Ripper in 20th Century Fox's From Hell (2001), the London Daily Express reported today (Wednesday). The newspaper said that Johnny Depp is set to play the Scotland Yard detective who tracked him down. Earlier reports had indicated that Brad Pitt had the inside track for the Depp role. The film is due to be directed by the Hughes brothers (Menace II Society (1993)). The Express quoted a source close to Hawthorne as saying, "Nigel's never really done the Hollywood villain stuff which a lot of Brit actors of his stature have done. He made a fleeting appearance in Demolition Man (1993) a few years ago, but this part is much more high quality writing. He's highly regarded in the States because of King George and Depp is a total Anglophile who loves working with British actors."
Stop The Windmills27 September 1999 (StudioBriefing) A planned retelling of Don Quixote with Johnny Depp playing a modern-day ad agency exec who is thrust back into the 17th century where Don Quixote mistakes him for Sancho Panza, has been put on hold after U.S. funding for the film fell through, the London Sunday Express reported. Director Terry Gilliam now plans to begin filming in the spring with European financing, the newspaper said. In an interview with the Sunday Express, Gilliam said: "I had been working for several years on trying to do Don Quixote straight but I just couldn't make it work. So I turned it upside down and used the best bits of Cervantes and made a different kind of film. Everyone knows or thinks they know the stereotype of the cranky knight and his large assistant, righting wrongs on their charger and donkey across Spain, so this part will require the highest comic performance from an actor." French actor John Rochefort is expected to play Don Quixote
Actor Is Thankful He Didn't Get Titanic Role.25 August 1998 (StudioBriefing) Blade co-star Stephen Dorff (in today's -- Tuesday -- New York Daily News) on why he is grateful that he was passed over for the Leo DiCaprio role in Titanic : "I want to have a career like Johnny Depp, Sean Penn and Jack Nicholson. I want to win an Oscar one day. That would have been impossible if I'd got Titanic. Look at Leo. His career can only go downhill from here. He'll always be the guy on the boat."
Planet Hollywood Goes On Sale22 July 1998 (StudioBriefing) Amid analysts' forecasts that Planet Hollywood's total revenue will fall about 25 percent at each of its 80 restaurants worldwide this year, the chain has asked Goldman Sachs and BearStearns to come up with financial and strategic partners, the London Times reported today (Wednesday). The chain is also seeking to bring in new stars as partners to join such veterans as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone, the newspaper said. According to the Times, Planet Hollywood president Brian Woods has already succeeded in bringing George Clooney into the partnership and is currently in talks with Will Smith and Johnny Depp, among others.
Drew May Play Tammy Star17 February 1998 (StudioBriefing) Drew Barrymore may play Sandra Dee (Tammy, Gidget (1959)) in an upcoming theatrical biopic about the 1950's film star. Johnny Depp is reportedly being considered for the role of singer Bobby Darin, who died in 1973, four years after he and Dee were divorced, Newsday columnist Liz Smith reported today (Tuesday).
Don't "Fuhgedaboudit"15 December 1997 (StudioBriefing) Today's New York Post is giving high marks to TriStar publicists who sent reporters talking tissue boxes that play Johnny Depp's "fuhgedaboudit" speech in Donny Brasco every time they sneeze. In an article dealing with studio marketing in advance of Oscar nomination balloting, the Post commented, "The Brasco tissue box is a rare signal of showmanship, which has nearly disappeared from the Oscar scene.'

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