According to TMZ, Johnny Depp is reportedly in talks for a surprise appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards dressed as the Moonman.
After four decades of captivating fans with his portrayal of eccentric characters in films like Sleepy Hollow and Edward Scissorhands, the 59-year-old actor is set to take the stage as the network’s famous mascot.
Though he’s not nominated at the awards show, which airs next Sunday, the movie star has previously won the MTV Movie Awards for Best Male Performance, Best Villain, Global Superstar and Generation Awards.
Upcoming appearance: Johnny Depp is reportedly in talks to make a surprise appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards dressed up as the network’s famous mascot, according to TMZ, which debuted in 2017
Next, the Oscar nominee will star in his first film since his libel trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard, a French period film called La Favorite.
Depp becomes King Louis XV. alongside Maiwenn Le Besco, who will both direct and play the main character Jeanne du Barry, King Ludwig’s lover.
Le Besco has already had success directing critically acclaimed films such as Polisse and Mon Roi. The film, set to start filming this summer, will be Depp’s first film in French and is expected to be released in 2023.
Fully disguised: After four decades of captivating fans with his portrayal of eccentric characters in movies like Sleepy Hollow and Edward Scissorhands, the 59-year-old actor is reportedly morphing while dressing up as a moonman trophy; seen in 2016
A fan favorite: While not nominated for the awards ceremony, which airs next Sunday, the star has previously won five MTV Movie Awards, including Best Male Performance, Best Villain, Global Superstar and the Generation Award; seen in 2014
While the film’s budget is unclear, Depp reportedly has a $20 million entry fee for each role.
La Favorite will mark a return for Depp after much of Hollywood blacklisted him following allegations of domestic violence from Heard.
In 2020, a UK court ruled that 12 out of 14 incidents of violence Heard alleged were “essentially true,” and Depp was subsequently forced, at the request of Warner Bros.
More to come: Next he’ll star in his first film since his libel trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard, a French play called ‘La Favorite’ (out in 2012).
But after his own defamation lawsuit against Heard, which awarded him $15 million, the star seems to be reviving interest.
Depp is reportedly in talks to star in another Pirates of the Caribbean movie and reprise his role as Captain Jack Sparrow following a $301 million offer from Disney.
Depp reportedly joked he wouldn’t return to the Pirates franchise even if he was offered $300 million, prompting Disney to offer him $1 million more.
His last film, Minimata, about war photographer W. Eugene Smith, was released in 2020.
Exciting: Depp becomes King Louis XV. will star alongside Maiwenn Le Besco, who will both direct and play the main character Jeanne du Barry, King Ludwig’s lover
The film flopped, grossing a meager $1.7 million worldwide on a budget of between $11 million and $13 million. Depp was paid $3 million for his role after “funding got shaky,” according to his agent.
The announcement comes as Netflix’s subscriber base and value have plummeted this year.
Netflix recently agreed with French cinema guilds to invest around $40 million in French films in order to regain interest in its productions.
Depp has a 23-year-old daughter with French singer Vanessa Paradis. Lily-Rose Depp, who is also an actress, was born in the posh Parisian suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine.
Lily-Rose has also graced the Netflix homepage. The young actress starred in the 2019 Netflix film The King alongside Timothee Chalamet.
The streaming giant admitted it expects to lose millions of subscribers this year, and its stock has fallen over 70% year-to-date.
Back to work: La Favorite will mark a return for Depp after much of Hollywood blacklisted him following allegations of domestic violence from Amber Heard; seen in 2022
Earlier this week, according to The Hollywood Reporter, it was announced that Depp would also direct the film Modigliani, a biopic about Italian painter and sculptor Amedeo Modigliani.
Depp will produce the film alongside Al Pacino and Barry Navidi, which will be the first film he has directed since making his directorial debut with the 1997 film The Brave.
Modigliani, based on the play by Dennis McIntyre and adapted for the screen by Jerzy and Mary Kromolowski, accompanies the artist in Paris in 1916.
Production is slated to begin in spring 2023 in Europe and the cast will be announced soon, according to THR.