Cannes organizers weighed both star power and potential controversy as the opening piece for the French costume drama, which will be Johnny Depp’s first starring role since winning a scathing defamation lawsuit last year. I chose “Jeanne du Barry”.
Directed and starring Maiwen, the film centers on a young woman who rises from humble origins to become Madame du Barry, a favorite of King Louis XV of France. acting.
Last year, the trial between Depp and ex-wife Amber Heard nailed the world, with Amber Heard reporting allegations of physical and sexual abuse. Depp denied this allegation, claiming she was the true perpetrator in the relationship. (A British judge had ruled in an earlier lawsuit that there was evidence Depp assaulted Heard.)
A jury in Virginia largely sided with Depp, denigrating Depp when Heard described himself as a “domestic violence public figure” in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed. recognized that it did. Hurd initially appealed the ruling, but he said last year that he would settle the dispute.
Last month, the announcement that Jeanne du Barry would be screened after the Cannes opening ceremony sparked an online divide, with some criticizing the festival’s organizers (the hashtag #CannesYouNot also spread along with the news). , Depp’s devoted fan base celebrated it as a sign of the actor’s return.
Festival Director Thierry Frémaux said: interview He told Variety last month that he didn’t consider the film a controversial choice. “The only thing we know is the justice system, and I think he won the case,” he said in an interview. “But this movie is not about Johnny Depp.”
At a news conference on Monday, Frémaux said he was not interested in a defamation lawsuit, saying he “cared about Johnny Depp as an actor.” Hollywood Reporter.
French newspaper Libération reported on Tuesday. open lettersigned by more than 100 actors, blaming the festival and the film industry at large for not properly barring people accused of assault and abuse from the event. Depp’s name was not mentioned.
“Obviously, it doesn’t come out of nowhere that people who abuse, harass and violate will be offered the opportunity to be on the red carpet of this festival,” the letter reads. “This is a symptom of a global system.”
Depp’s career has been most characterized by films with quirky protagonists (such as Sweeney Todd and Willy Wonka) that dominate the film, but in Jeanne du Barry he plays a supporting role to Maiwen. The film “Polisse” won the International Film Festival Jury Prize. Cannes in 2011. Depp appeared at the Cannes Film Festival that same year in the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean movie.
During the trial, Depp’s attorney argued that Heard’s allegations were: editorial The Washington Post said that after the film was published, it was no longer available for studio film bookings, ruining the actor’s film career. Heard countered that his career slump was due to his bad reputation and pattern of behavior on set.
After the trial, Depp quickly returned to public life, playing concerts in Europe with Jeff Beck and appearing in a Rihanna-sponsored fashion show. However, this is his first full-scale return to the film industry.
“Jeanne du Barry” will undoubtedly attract a lot of attention in France. It will be released in theaters in France on Tuesday and then on Netflix.
No U.S. distribution plans have been announced.
