Johnny Depp jumped back into the director’s chair for the first time since his very public defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard.
The 60-year-old actor made his directorial return with the release of images on Friday from an independent film he’s been working on in Europe called “Modi,” the Hollywood Reporter reported.
The movie, which stars Al Pacino, recently wrapped production with Depp releasing a statement afterward calling the chance to work behind the camera again “an incredibly fulfilling and transformative experience.”
“I would like to express my profound gratitude to the entire cast, crew, and producers for their unwavering commitment and creativity,” Depp said. “To Al, who requested that I make this film — how could I refuse Pacino?”
First look at Johnny Depp directing the cast of the film “Modi,” in which Al Pacino plays a supporting role as real-life French art collector Maurice Gangnat. https://t.co/Fi8WT4rafT pic.twitter.com/r5QQu2HvPe
— Variety (@Variety) January 18, 2024
“A sincere acknowledgement for generously contributing his talent and dedication to this project,” he added. “‘Modi’ is a testament to the collaborative spirit of independent filmmaking, and I am excited to present this unique and compelling story to the world.”
In 2022, a jury found that Heard had defamed Depp in an op-ed the actress penned in The Washington Post in 2018 about domestic violence, awarding the star a total of $15 million in monetary damages, though that was dropped to $10.35 million due to Virginia law, as The Daily Wire previously reported.
The same jury also awarded the “Zombieland” actress $2 million for her defamation claim after she won one of the three countersuit claims she had against Depp’s lawyer in the case.
Since the trial, the “Edward Scissorhands” star has said he’s done with Hollywood and stayed largely out of the spotlight.
In an interview last year, Depp talked about his new home in the English countryside in the county of Somerset where he said he’s been able to be himself and hasn’t really had to deal with the invasion of his private life, Somerset Life magazine reported.
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“British people are cool and will greet you as if you are a neighbor without going over the top,” Depp said. “I don’t mind if people want an autograph or a brief chat but not when I am having some private time with my family.”
“I can go into shops without being surrounded by people wanting selfies,” he added. “I don’t mind that up to a point, but sometimes it gets a little too crowded.”
“That’s one of the great things about Britain, and especially Somerset,” the star continued. “I can just be me — and that’s nice.”
In 2014, the Evening Standard reported Depp bought a £13 million estate in Somerset. The home reportedly has 12 bedrooms and eight bathrooms. The outlet labeled the superstar’s home “a great manor house,” surrounded by walled gardens and set within 850 acres, People magazine noted.