Johnny Depp to Direct Biopic on Italian Painter Amedeo Modigliani; Finalizes Star Cast for the Movie

Depp is returning to director's seat after a long gap of 25 years.

Hollywood star Johnny Depp is all set to direct a movie after a gap of 25 years, and it is going to be a biopic. The movie is titled 'Modi' and it is based on the life of Italian painter and sculptor Amedeo Modigliani. The star cast for the movie is already finalized, and some of the best names are going to be part of this grand project.

Johnny Depp

Riccardo Scamarcio and Pierre Niney, both Italian actors, will appear in the film. Al Pacino, the iconic actor, is expected to play a crucial role in the film. Previously, Depp collaborated with Al Pacino in the 1997 crime film 'Donnie Brasco.' According to some media reports, filming for the film will begin soon in Budapest.

The film will follow the Italian artist through a violent and dramatic 48-hour period in which he is on the run from police through the streets and bars of war-torn Paris. Fellow bohemians, including French artist Maurice Utrillo, Belarusian-born Chaim Soutine, and his English admirer and lover, Beatrice Hastings, ridicule his desire to terminate his career and leave the city.

Depp and Pacino also appeared in Donnie Brasco, a 1997 crime film. As director of photography, Nicola Pecorini (The Legend of Don Quixote), Andrew Sanders, and John Beard will supervise production design, while Penny Rose (Pirates of the Caribbean) will handle costumes.

The 'Modi' biopic will be Depp's second film directorial effort following 'The Brave' in 1997. Depp will make his acting debut with the film 'Jeanne du Barry,' which will open the Cannes Film Festival. The Hollywood actor has made headlines for his highly publicized defamation trial with his ex-wife Amber Heard. He did, however, win the defamation lawsuit, receiving $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages.