All the way back in April, we reported that Johnny Depp might have a role in Kevin Smith’s upcoming horror flick Tusk, which was just recently picked up as an official selection of the Toronto International Film Festival. Now, Bloody Disgusting is reigniting that rumor thanks to one of their regular anonymous tipsters.
According to the tipster, a frequent contributor whom Bloody Disgusting states has been right many times before, Depp does indeed have a major role in the twisted horror pic, which centers on a man (Justin Long) who is surgically transformed into a walrus by an enigmatic seafarer named Howard Howe (Michael Parks). The Pirates of the Caribbean star is reportedly playing the role of Guy Lapointe.
A Van Helsing-type character, Lapointe has been hunting Howe for over a decade and is very familiar with his bloody modus operandi (As per the tipster: “Howe’s victims were found with legs amputated and arms sewn back on, tongues hacked off, etc.”). Lapointe, an eccentric French-Canadian detective, enters the picture when supporting characters Teddy (Haley Joel Osment) and Allison (Genesis Rodriguez) hire him to help find Wallace (Long).
Depp is apparently almost unrecognizable in the role and sports a thick accent. Intriguingly, he was not Smith’s first choice for the role, as the director reportedly reached out to Quentin Tarantino at first. Regardless, it will be exciting to see the actor in a smaller genre pic – especially after the giant whiff that was Transcendence.
Tusk arrives in theaters on September 19th, and we’ll find out then whether the tipster is correct or just full of hot air.