Where Johnny Depp goes, others will follow. It’s a rule of Hollywood, and so far it has worked out pretty well for Mr. Depp and those he works for. His latest vehicle – the one that will likely follow his appearance in Into The Woods – will be comedy crime film Mortdecai, and his new co-stars are Ewan McGregor and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Mortdecai follows an art dealer/roguish-type who winds up involved with MI5, Russians, and that perennial favorite, Nazi gold. Depp’s going to be the man himself, while the roles of his co-stars are still in question. The film is based on a series of novels by Kyril Bonfiglioli featuring Charlie Mortdecai, a character The Guardian refers to as an ‘amoral Bertie Wooster with psychopathic tendencies’. Well, now I want to read the books.
According to The Guardian, Mortdecai is being adapted from the fourth book, entitled The Great Mortdecai Mustache Mystery. Now why didn’t they keep that title? That’s a great title.
David Koepp (Premium Rush) is set to direct Mortdecai, if that excites you at all. He previously worked with Depp in Secret Window, which was … not bad. That’s the most I can say for it.
While Depp seems to be phoning it in right now, putting him in a cast alongside two other likable stars might do wonders. He hasn’t had such good luck with ‘dashing adventurer’ roles in the past. If you can recall The Tourist, you’ll know what I mean. Still, Johnny Depp can be a great actor when he tries. I just hope he does not do some random accent just for fun.
Filming on Mortdecai should get underway before the end of the year, once Depp finishes his work on Into The Woods.
Does Mortdecai sound like something you’re looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below.