Actor Johnny Depp is returning to the silver screen in the role of King Louis XV in the new film Jeanne du Barry on Netflix.
According to Deadline, Depp will don a collection of flamboyant hats in the film to convey the infamous excess of the flamboyant monarch. After all, Louis XV’s ostentatious lifestyle eventually sparked the French revolution and brought down the French monarchy.
Jeanne du Barry tells the story of a young woman who rose from poverty to prominence as the last mistress of King Louis XV. Her previous status as a sex worker made her unpopular at the royal court where she was studiously ignored by her lover’s wife, Marie Antoinette. Eventually, a shocking twist of fate saw Du Barry arrested for treason and executed by guillotine.
For decades, Depp shared his time between the United States and France, where he raised two children with Vanessa Paradis. France is famously tolerant of artists with complicated personal lives, and it makes sense that Depp has carefully chosen to return to the film industry in a French film project. Jeanne du Barry is his first film since his scandalous exit from Fantastic Beasts. In a sense, his portrayal of King Louis XV is an opportunity to show Hollywood that Depp is still a commanding box office draw.
However, it hasn’t been smooth sailing for the eccentric actor. Last month news of an incompatibility between the film’s director Maïwenn and Depp made international headlines. Journalist Bernard Montiel reported that Depp’s repeated lateness and absences were at the root of Maïwenn’s frustration.
Nevertheless Jeanne du Barry should be a compelling film to watch because Maïwenn has an uncanny ability to examine extravagance and egoism in her characters. Her previous film, My King (2015), was nominated for the coveted Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Jeanne du Barry is scheduled for release sometime in 2023.