“Johnny Depp Returns to the Screen in Cannes Premiere: A King Without Panache”

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Johnny Depp in Cannes opening film: A King Without Panache

With his role as King Louis XV. US actor Johnny Depp has returned to the big screen in “Jeanne du Barry”. The historical drama is his first film after the court battle with his ex-wife Amber Heard. “Jeanne du Barry” tells of the scandalous relationship between the French king and his mistress Marie-Jeanne Bécu in the late 1760s and early 1770s. Since Bécu came from a poor background, the relationship was a scandal.

The film, by director Maïwenn, who also plays the lead, opened the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday night. The film crew had previously posed on the red carpet, giving Depp autographs for a few minutes and taking selfies with many enthusiastic fans.

Aging king without much panache

“Jeanne du Barry” is a costume drama with an impressive opulent setting. Many scenes were filmed in and around the Palace of Versailles. Depp plays the king with the slightly mocking nonchalance film viewers are familiar with from the 59-year-old actor. But he doesn’t really stand out, which may be due to the fact that he is portrayed in the film as an aging king without much panache. In general, the film relies heavily on its sets. The psychological motivations of the characters are little illuminated.

Before the premiere, the decision of the Cannes festival management to make a work with Depp as the opening film attracted more attention. This had also caused criticism, especially in the USA.

Most recently with a court dispute in the headlines

Depp’s career collapsed at times due to the headline-grabbing court battle with his ex-wife, who accused him of violence. In 2020 he was replaced by the Dane Mads Mikkelsen in “Fantastic Beasts: Dumbledore’s Secrets”. In the same year he was seen in the drama “Minamata”. In 2022, he won most counts over Heard in the defamation trial. The jury awarded the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star high damages.

When asked about the process, festival director Thierry Frémaux said in Cannes: “If there’s one person in this world who wasn’t interested in this process, it’s me.”

Depp’s temporary replacement, Mikkelsen, also walked the red carpet in Cannes on Tuesday night. Many other film stars attended the opening: Michael Douglas, who received the Palme d’honneur in gold, appeared with wife Catherine Zeta-Jones and daughter Carys Zeta Douglas. German actors were also there: Emilia Schüle or Matthias Schweighöfer, for example. Paula Beer came in her capacity as a jury member for the Cannes sidebar Un Certain Regard. And Franz Rogowski as part of the jury for the Semaine de la Critique section.

dpa