Cannes director stands by decision to open festival with Johnny Depp’s Jeanne du Barry despite controversy – “The movie isn’t about Johnny Depp” | Latest Bollywood News, Actors, Actresses, Celebrities, Movies, Gossips, Video

Johnny Depp is all set to mark his first onscreen role since his and former wife Amber Heard’s long-running defamation trial (which was won by Depp in December) and Depp seems pretty excited about his comeback!

Cannes director stands by decision to open festival with Johnny Depp’s Jeanne du Barry despite controversy – “The movie isn’t about Johnny Depp”

As reported earlier, Johnny Depp’s Jeanne du Barry will reportedly open 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. According to Variety, Cannes festival director Thierry Fremaux addressed the potential backlash to Jeanne du Barry being announced as the 2023 opener.

“I don’t see Maïwenn’s film as a controversial choice at all, because if Johnny Depp had been banned from working it would have been different, but that’s not the case,” Fremaux told the outlet. “We only know one thing, it’s the justice system and I think he won the legal case. But the movie isn’t about Johnny Depp.”

As per the report, the historical film is not debuting in competition and will not be eligible for the Palme d’Or. “That’s because it’s the opening night film and last year as well the opening film wasn’t in competition,” Fremaux said, adding that the decision is not based on the pending lawsuit against Maïwenn.

“Not at all, because we didn’t know about it when we invited the film out of competition.” Fremaux added that the upcoming film has a modern commentary, being “about the place of women in politics.” He continued, “I’d say that almost every film talk societal problems. It’s a very politically minded selection.”

“Even Martin Scorsese’s film is about the relationship between Native Americans and white people, but in the 1920s. It explores our own moral sense, our humanity, our courage when faced with a situation where we have to say ‘no.’”

The 2023 Cannes Film Festival takes place from May 16-27 and Jeanne du Barry will open the festival on May 16, ahead of its theatrical release in France on the same day. Besides Depp, the film also stars Pierre Richard, Noemie Lvovsky, Benjamin Lavernhe and Melvil Poupaud.

The official synopsis reads, “Jeanne Vaubernier, a young working-class woman hungry for culture and pleasure, uses her intelligence and allure to climb the rungs of the social ladder one by one. She becomes the favourite of King Louis XV who, unaware of her status as courtesan, regains through her his appetite for life. They fall madly in love. Against all propriety and etiquette, Jeanne moves to Versailles, where her arrival scandalizes the court.”

The Pirates of the Caribbean star will portray a controversial French King Louis XV in historical drama film Jeanne Du Barry, will reportedly open 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival.

Also Read: Johnny Depp to mark feature film comeback with Jeanne Du Barry since Amber Heard defamation trial; film to open Cannes Festival