Johnny Depp Looks Regal As King Louis XV In His Return To The Big Screen

Hollywood star, Johnny Depp looks regal in his new movie role following legal drama with his ex-wife Amber Heard. The actor looked dashing in the new photos for the highly-anticipated movie, "Jeanne Du Barry." The Netflix film, which French director Maïwenn Le Besco wrote and directed, is set to hit cinemas sometime this year.

The movie tells the story of King Louis XV's mistress Jeanne Du Barry and serves as the "Pirates of the Caribbean" actor's first on-screen appearance in three years.

It is also his first film since the famous trial with Heard. Per their most recent agreement, the "Aquaman" actress will settle Depp $1 million as they have decided to toss out their appeals. The actor is now focused on his career and will step behind the camera for the first time in a long while. 

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The actor, who is famous for his stellar performances in films like "Alice in Wonderland" and "Fantastic Beasts" is set to wow viewers again. He rocked a royal fit in the two promotional photos released on Tuesday. In the images, he wore the famous King's attire and his tricorn hat.

Alongside Depp, 46-year-old Maïwenn will direct the film and also star as the movie's main character, Jeanne du Barry. While there is no official release date for the French biographical film, People magazine noted that an industry source revealed that the movie would premiere in May.

"Jeanne Du Barry," which will premiere as "La Favorite" to French audiences later this year, will focus on King Louis' mistress with the same name. While Louis XV was king from 1715 - 1774 and married Marie Leczinska, the Queen of France, he allegedly had several affairs.

In August 2022, Deadline reported that the film would explain how Jeanne du Barry rose to become the King's favorite mistress, through ambition and intelligence, after being born a pauper. The site also reported that the filming spanned 11 weeks. The production team shuffled between several famous studios and locations in France, including the Palace of Versailles.

Apart from Depp and Maïwenn, other famous names like Pierre Richard, Benjamin Lavernhe, Noémie Lvovsky, Melvil Poupaud, India Hair, and Pascal Greggory will join the cast of the project. While this is another potential commercial success for the production team, it marks Depp's official return to acting after three years.

According to People, the project will mark Depp's first movie feature since 2019 and also comes after his victory over the defamation trial. Following the win, he reportedly reached an agreement with Heard in December to trash their appeals. The actress will also pay Depp approximately $1 million in damages.

While she agreed to make the payment, she released a statement to clarify that she didn't concede to Depp. "I have made no admission. This is not an act of concession." She also assured fans that the trial wouldn't stop her from speaking up about anything in the future.

While the ex-couple is dealing with the aftermath of the trial, Depp is facing his Hollywood career head-on. The 59-year-old will even revive his career as a director after over 25 years.

The "Fantastic Beasts" actor is set to resurrect his directing career with his spot in the crew of the upcoming film "Modigliani." He will direct the movie, which focuses on Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani.

After landing the role, Depp expressed his happiness as this marks the actor's first directing gig in 25 years. The star also revealed how honored he felt to direct a film about the famous artist. "The saga of Mr. Modigliani's life is one that I'm incredibly honored and truly humbled, to bring to the screen," he said according to People.

Depp continued, "It was a life of great hardship, but eventual triumph — a universally human story all viewers can identify with." The upcoming film is based on Dennis McIntyre's play of the same name.