Johnny Depp, famous for playing Captain Jack Sparrow in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean series, is set to take center stage once again. His new movie, Modì: Three Days on the Wing of Madness (2024), will be shown at the Rome Film Festival this weekend.
Directed by Depp, Modì tells the story of Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani, starring Riccardo Scamarcio in the lead role. The film, based on Dennis McIntyre’s play *Modigliani*, also features Stephen Graham as Léopold Zborowski and Scarface legend Al Pacino as Maurice Gangnat.
“Indeed, the highlight of an otherwise unremarkable edition of the 10-day-long fest will undoubtedly be Johnny Depp’s appearance on Saturday to present the biopic *Modì*, which premiered at the San Sebastián Film Festival and chronicles three chaotic days in the life of Italian painter and sculptor Amedeo Modigliani,” *The Hollywood Reporter* wrote.
Before its screening at the Rome Film Festival, the movie will be honored with the Capri Cult Award on Friday, with producer Barry Navidi, a long-time friend of Pacino, accepting the award.
Modì made its debut at the 72nd San Sebastián International Film Festival on September 24, 2024, where it was met with positive reception, as described by Deadline: “Overall, Modì appeared to be generally well-received by the San Sebastián audience, who sporadically cheered and clapped during the screening.”
Depp attended the premiere at San Sebastián and dedicated the film to his late friend, musician Jeff Beck, with whom he had toured in 2022. The tour took place during Depp’s legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard, a case that gained massive attention. After the trial concluded in 2022, Depp quickly shifted his focus to Modì.
This came two years after Depp lost his libel case in the UK against The Sun newspaper, but the defamation trial in Virginia involving Heard captured even more public and media interest.
Fans are thrilled about Depp’s new project and eagerly awaiting its release. An Instagram post by Depp_Head4ever shared the news about Modì closing the Rome Film Festival, receiving supportive comments. One fan wrote, “So proud and happy for him. There’s no stopping this man. Proof that you can’t keep a good man down,” while another said, “You are amazing… To see this movie is going to be so exciting.”
Following its Rome Film Festival appearance, Modì: Three Days on the Wing of Madness will be released nationally by Be Water on December 5, 2024. The movie was written by Jerzy Kromolowski and Mary Kromolowski and is produced by IN.2 Film, Depp’s production company.
As for Depp’s future as Captain Jack Sparrow, fans are still hopeful, though Disney remains non-committal. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer has expressed his desire to see Depp return despite confirming that Pirates of the Caribbean 6 will feature a new cast of characters.
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