ROTTEN TOMATOES: Johnny Depp and Michael Mann Are Public Enemies

Johnny Depp and Michael Mann Are Public Enemies

Depp to star as John Dillinger.

by Jeff Giles | December 06, 2007

Johnny Depp may not be filming Shantaram this winter, but he won't be out of work. Michael Mann is making sure of it.

Refusing to let a silly little writers' strike keep him from rocking a theater near you, Depp has agreed to star in Public Enemies, a Mann-scripted crime drama based on Bryan Burrough's 2004 book of the same name. Enemies, scheduled to start filming March 10 in Chicago, deals with some familiar faces in the annals of American crime:

Drama is set during the great crime wave of 1933-34, when the government's attempts to stop Depression-era criminal legends such as John Dillilnger, Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd transformed J. Edgar Hoover's FBI into the country's first federal police force.

Depp, naturally, will play John Dillinger.

The deal, struck "hours before" Sweeney Todd's Hollywood premiere, comes as something of a surprise; until recently, Mann had been circling Edwin A. Salt, a Tom Cruise spy thriller.

Source: Variety

Related Items

Celeb:	Michael Mann
	Johnny Depp

(1-20 of 29 posts) | Reply

dahluzz writes:
on Dec 06 2007 07:14 AM

this sounds cool. time to redeem yourself for miami vice the movie, michael mann. how the guy managed to screw up the adaptation a series he invented is beyond me, but with a couple solid character actors for the supporting roles, this one could really have legs.

(Reply to this)

arendr writes:
on Dec 06 2007 07:35 AM

Film sounds cool, but Mann isn't in the guild?

(Reply to this)

Eat.Before.We.Eat.You writes:
on Dec 06 2007 07:38 AM

I can't wait to see Depp as Dillinger. I guess I'll pass the time by seeing Depp as the demon barber of Fleet street.

(Reply to this)

Lesmana writes:
on Dec 06 2007 07:40 AM

Mann and depp, count me in

(Reply to this)

stevegilpin writes:
on Dec 06 2007 07:44 AM

Hell yeah! I love Michael Mann....and I love Johnny Depp...actually, this is a great director/star match.....can't wait.

(Reply to this)

AlbertBrodsky writes:
on Dec 06 2007 08:04 AM

I'm not a big Michael Mann fan. I looked up his directing list on IMDB and nothing there really impressed me. "Last of the Mohicans" was probably my favorite. "Heat" had a great cast and a good premise, but it moved so slow, and the dialog often felt like I was watching a soap opera. "The Insider"?... zzzzzzz.
Depp can do no wrong, but I hope that Mann doesn't make another boring flick with no longevity.

(Reply to this)

The Tony Show writes:
on Dec 06 2007 08:08 AM

As long as Mann doesn't shoot it in grainy shaky-cam I might actually be interested.

(Reply to this)

Bloody Mathias writes:
on Dec 06 2007 08:48 AM

Love Mann, great respect Depp so me likey.

And Albert if you are unimpressed with Mann's resume, watch Collateral which IMNSH opinion is one of the best movies of the decade.

(Reply to this)

POPCORNLUMPY writes:
on Dec 06 2007 09:21 AM

Johnny will pull it of just like he pulled off being a guy with scissor hands, a chocolate factory owner, and a barber who bakes people he dose not like into pies!!

(Reply to this)

taran72 writes:
on Dec 06 2007 09:41 AM

At first I thought it said Michael Moore, who would make a great villain in a crime flick.

(Reply to this)

gunslingR writes:
on Dec 06 2007 11:23 AM

Collateral made me a Mann Fan, and i've never seen a depp movie i didn't like, so this has a lot of potential. that being said, hasn't this been done before? for some reason it feels like The Untouchables part 2: More Untouchable. W/e, i'll probably still see it. Now we need someone with good historical knowledge to dream up some supporting actors to play the other roles.

(Reply to this)

CowboyMovieJunkie26 writes:
on Dec 06 2007 11:23 AM

All I have to say is yes!!! Michael Mann and Johnny Depp are a great team! If its anything like Heat or Collateral I'm so there!!!

(Reply to this)

BrianInSD writes:
on Dec 06 2007 11:28 AM

In reply to this comment (#1332317)
Since he's writing, directing and probably producing the film, Mann probably has some leeway there. He has enough clout that he's probably not terribly worried about being blacklisted for strike-breaking. Not to mention that the script was most likely finished prior to the strike anyway.

(Reply to this)

joy30083 writes:
on Dec 06 2007 12:00 PM

I hope this is true, I was already having Depp withdrawal not sure we would get our yearly Johnny fix in 2008, yes, addicted to the man and this movies and proud of it, looking forward to "Sweeney Todd", and this planned movie for next year.
Thanks for the info

(Reply to this)

walkingdead09 writes:
on Dec 06 2007 12:48 PM

I understand that when you are a fan of someone, you go nuts for everything they do and never believe anything they do is wrong, and I firmly believe this movie will be great, but "yearly Johnny fix". Little thirteen year olds shouldn't be on this site, does your dad know you are on here. Get it straight, the movie will be good if it's good. The chocolate factory movie was terrible and Depp couldn't live up to Gene Wilder, and yeah I said it.

(Reply to this)

harrismonkey writes:
on Dec 06 2007 01:07 PM

Wow, Depp in his first presumably straight role in a very, very long time. As brilliant as the man is (and he IS), I've honestly begun wondering if he still has any idea how to play a "normal" human being.

I would bet (and I really, really hope) Mann might put away his video camera and go back to film for a 1930's period piece. (or at least shoot conservative HD like fincher in Zodiac)

But yes, this is exciting news!

(Reply to this)

CowboyMovieJunkie26 writes:
on Dec 06 2007 01:25 PM

I agree with walkingdead09 that Depp will never did live up to Gene Wilder in the Chocolate Factory. It was one of his few louzy movies as was the newest Pirates movie.(Which was due to crappy writing.) But I think its hard not to make a movie that doesn't live up to our expectations. Mann is a very capable director who should have never touched his trademark after it ended in the 80's. But like I said earlier if its anything like Heat or Collateral then the movie will be just fine.

(Reply to this)

Daniel Aaron writes:
on Dec 06 2007 02:09 PM

I hope Mann comes back to true form with this one

(Reply to this)

unclehulka writes:
on Dec 06 2007 02:35 PM

couldn't agree more about wonka. not depp's best. sheesh, everybody loved it. taking it too far. i also agree it will be nice to see a realistic, dark, serious side to him, with no SINGING!!!!

(Reply to this)

ManofStee1 writes:
on Dec 06 2007 02:49 PM

Mann directing the story of John Dillenger with Depp as Dillenger?

Sign me up.

(Reply to this)

Related Links

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Related Articles

Most Discussed

Latest News

Latest Interviews

Latest Features

Sponsored Links