Disney Shellshocked, 'Canceled' Actor Gets Revenge
Sailing around seas of rumor and anticipation, fans of Johnny Depp have been full of speculation about his potential return to the much-beloved Pirates of the Caribbean franchise as Captain Jack Sparrow - a role that some reports suggested would earn Depp up to a whopping $20 million.
Unfortunately, DailyMail.com can reveal that Depp's fans are in for a bitter disappointment: The actor has absolutely no plans to work with Disney again.
The studio's President, Sean Bailey, stirred up a frenzy of headlines when he stated that the studio was, at the moment, "noncommittal" to the actor's return. Sadly, Depp's pals confirm that any notion of his return to the studio's film roster is completely off the table.
The reason? Depp is still in the midst of recovering from the toxic fallout of the domestic abuse accusations leveled against him by his ex-wife Amber Heard. After the release of these allegations, Disney quickly pulled the plug on any future projects with Depp and denied any ties to him.
"He's still smarting after the way they dumped him when the wife-beating accusations first surfaced," one friend told DailyMail.com.
With the support of the law -and his win in court in Virginia last year- Depp seemed to be getting back on his career feet. But those close to the 60-year-old actor disclose that Disney Film is definitely a part of his past.
Moreover, friends explain that Warner Brothers, home of the Fantastic Beasts franchise - which also cut ties with the actor in the wake of the abuse allegations-has also been crossed off his future list.
Now Depp is looking forward to directing his own projects and focusing on the things close to his heart, such as music, art, and his recent involvement in the arthouse film, Minamata.
Throughout Cannes Festival, where he was front-and-center casting as the main character in his latest film, Donny Brasco, Depp commanded a lot of attention. Fan or not, it seemed almost impossible for attendees of the screening not to give the actor a roaring 7-minute standing ovation after its end - ensuing reports, however, have deemed this accolade as "phoney" by respected film site Deadline, stating that only the area surrounding Depp stood and cheered, while the rest of the theatre continued as usual.
Whether or not this gesture was genuine, it would seem Depp is content with his current outcome. When asked about a potential comeback to Hollywood, the actor resolutely rejected this notion.
"By the way I didn't come back from anywhere," he told reporters in Cannes. "I live about 45 minutes away. Maybe people stopped calling out of whatever their fear was at that time, but no, I didn't go anywhere."
Similarly, when asked about having to apologize in order to fully gain the industry's forgiveness for the low blow of the domestic abuse accusations, the actor's reply was that he would not be reducing himself to groveling for the approval of others. The seemingly undeterred actor is now in search of alternative outlets for his ongoing creative endeavors, taking on more focused projects while hanging out with old and new friends alike - such as Jeff Beck.
Though Depp has been sidelined for a while due to an injury requiring extended rest and recovery, he has been making waves among critics and followers with his works over the past months. Minamata, released in 2020 and Modi - due to be released in 2021 - are both excellent examples of how the actor has been pursuing visual art mediums to tell his own version of life and truth.
The conclusion is clear: It looks like Depp has decided to say 'Goodbye' to the land of make-believe and focus on a life far away from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.