Johnny Depp to feature as King Louis XV in new film directed by French director Maiwenn

According to Deadline, 'Pirates of the Caribbean' star will play French King Louis XV in a new 'Jeanne Du Barry', directed by French director Maiwenn (Polisse). The film will be filmed at the Palace of Versailles and around Paris this summer. The plot of the legendary drama has been kept under wraps.

Louis Garrel, Pierre Richard and Noemie Lvovsky will also be seen in the new release and the production start date has not been revealed.

The film will be produced by Why Not Productions in Paris. Wild Bunch International will handle global sales and will introduce the project to buyers at the Cannes Market in Berlin next month, as per Deadline.

Louis XV, also known as his beloved Louis, reigned as King of France for 59 years until his death in 1774. He was beheaded after the French Revolution.

Warner Bros. removed Depp from the third installment in their 'Fantastic Beasts' franchise, replacing Depp with Mads Mikkelsen. Depp's last film was Andrew Levitas' Minamata, in which he played W. Eugene Smith, an American photographer who helped document the devastating impact of mercury poisoning on coastal communities in Japan in the 1970s.

Depp is currently in the midst of a protracted and troublesome court battle with his ex-wife, Amber Heard. He has described himself as a victim of cancel culture ever since.

The 'Blow' star (58) has accused Amber Heard (36) of defamation in 2018, due to an op-ed she wrote in which she opened up about surviving domestic violence, but she did not mention his name in the article.

Maiwenn, who turned from an actor to a director, was honoured in the 2011 drama 'Police,' which won the Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize. The Depp movie will be her first historical drama. The new project may also mark Depp's French debut. The actor has lived in France for many years and speaks French, albeit with an American accent. (ANI)