FL of Depp's portrayal of King Louis XV in 'Jeanne du Barry' out

WASHINGTON: Johnny Depp is playing a controversial character as King Louis XV in the forthcoming film, Jeanne du Barry, directed by French filmmaker, Maiwenn.His first look from the period film has been revealed.

This is Depp's first cinematic role since his defamation trial against Amber Heard.

According to Variety, "Jeanne du Barry" began filming in Paris and the Ile-de-France region, using famous locations such as the Palace of Versailles as backdrops. The title part is being played by Maiwenn, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Teddy Lussi-Modeste.

The narrative centres on Jeanne, a young woman from the working class who uses charm and intelligence to move up the social scale. King Louis XV, who is unaware of her reputation as a courtesan, notices her and falls head over heels in love. Jeanne relocates to Versailles, where her arrival scandalises the court, going against every propriety and manners.

Benjamin Lavernhe, Pierre Richard, Melvil Poupaud, Noemie Lvovsky, Pascal Greggory, and India Hair will also be featured in the cast.

Known as "the beloved" in real life, Louis XV ruled for 59 years, one of the longest reigns in French history. However, following accusations of corruption and extramarital affairs, Charles passed away as an unpopular prince.

He has also portrayed war photographer W. Eugene Smith in the independent film "Minamata".

Depp lost his libel action against the British newspaper The Sun, which had called him a "wife beater," later in 2020, forcing Warner Bros. to kick him out of the "Harry Potter" spinoff series "Fantastic Beasts."

The dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald in the 2022 film "Fantastic Beast: The Secrets of Dumbledore" was played by Madds Mikkelson in place of Depp, as reported by Variety.

Johnny had sued Amber Heard over a 2018 article she wrote for The Washington Post about her experiences as a survivor of domestic abuse. The jury determined that Heard had slandered Depp in her 2018 Washington Post opinion piece, in which she made references to having experienced domestic abuse. The jury did discover, nevertheless, that Depp defended Heard by disparaging her through his lawyer.

"Jeanne du Barry" will be produced by the Paris-based Why Not Productions, IN2, and France Televisions. World sales are handled by Wild Bunch International ("Titane"). In France, the movie is being distributed by Le Pacte. Following its theatrical release, Netflix obtained a licence to broadcast the movie in France.