Cannes Director Defends Opening Film Festival with Johnny Depp’s New Movie

Johnny Depp will be back on the big screen at Cannes Film Festival, as his new movie Jeanne du Barry is set to open the prestigious event. A French period film, the movie stars Depp as King Louis XV alongside director Maiwenn as his lover. It is the first starring role for Depp following his highly public legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard. Depp had sued Heard for defamation and the jury of the trial sided very heavily in the former’s favor, proving him to be innocent in the eyes of many.

Heard still has some support, and there has been a certain level of criticism over screening Depp’s film at Cannes. The “controversial” decision has been addressed by Cannes director Thierry Fremaux in a new interview with Variety, and he clarifies why the fest has stood by the film. From his point of view, there shouldn’t be any controversy, arguing that Depp has been vindicated in a court of law. Even so, he also stresses how the film is not so much about Depp himself. As Fremaux says:

“I don’t see Maiwenn’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. 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.”

Maiwenn has also been facing some legal issues herself. She was recently sued by a magazine editor for allegedly assaulting him in a restaurant. Fremaux notes how the lawsuit didn’t affect how the film was kept out of competition at Cannes, as that was already the plan before that news broke.

“Not at all, because we didn’t know about it when we invited the film out of competition.”

Related: Johnny Depp’s New Movie Jeanne du Barry Set to Premiere at Cannes Film Festival

Remember Johnny Depp? He’s Back… in French King Form

If the film is well received upon its release, that can only help Depp continue to snag more leading roles as he resumes his film career. It’s a climb back up after a hard fall that saw him get booted from two major franchises over allegations that a jury later determined to be false. Depp says he was fired by Disney from the Pirates of the Caribbean series before he was later asked by Warner Bros. to step down from Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. While there’s no indication of the Fantastic Beasts movie series moving forward, Pirate of the Caribbean producer Jerry Bruckheimer has been lobbying to get Depp to return for another film as Jack Sparrow. Time will tell if that happens.

Jeanne du Barry premieres at Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2023, and it will also screen in French theaters on that same day. It will be made available for streaming on Netflix France 15 months later.