After three years away, Johnny Depp is back, and speaking French. The actor appears in his first role in some time after the messy legal battles with his ex-wife Amber Heard left him estranged from the Hollywood crowd. He stars as King Louis XV in the period drama, Jeanne du Barry, which has been acquired by Vertical for North America.
The film premiered on the opening night of the Cannes Film Festival, and received a standing ovation (though doesn’t that always seem like every film at Cannes these days?). Since then, it’s been going strong at the French box office and has grossed $4.1 million from the country alone in the first two weeks of its release, with over 550,000 tickets sold.
The story centers on a working-class woman, Jeanne Vaubernier in 18th Century France. Using her charm and sex appeal as well as her intelligence, she works her way up the ranks until she becomes King Louis XV’s mistress. This comes with a certain level of scandal, though, as the aristocratic entourage of the King is disgusted by her mere presence in their enclave and they make a concerted effort to be rid of her. Jeanne Vaubernier is played by Maïwenn, who also wrote and directed.
This serves as Depp’s comeback, and is his first French-speaking role. Though it’s done well in France, the reception in the States will test whether audiences are willing to go watch something with the controversial actor involved. Speaking at a press conference for the film, Depp touched upon his absence from Hollywood, and he doesn’t sound to bothered,
For his big return, the reviews so far have been exceptionally middling, with many stating that Depp’s acting chops aren’t quite on full display here. What they do praise is that his casting makes sense; once the king of Hollywood, Depp now plays a kingly character surrounded by wealth and opulence surrounded by lackeys that will not leave him alone.