According to Variety, Golden Globe winner Johnny Depp has signed on for the leading role in French filmmaker Maiwenn’s upcoming historical drama film. The project will center around King Louis XV, who reigned over France for 59 years, the second-longest in the country’s history.
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Further details about the film’s plot, title, and characters are still being kept under wraps, but production is expected to begin sometime this summer, which will last for three months on location across Parisian landmarks including the Versailles Palace.
Nicknamed “the beloved,” French King Louis XV reigned over France from 1715 to 1774, succeeding his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. His reign has been heavily criticized by scholars for the way he governed over the country including his corruption and political choices that laid the foundation for the French Revolution.
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The project will be produced by Pascal Caucheteux and Gregoire Sorlat’s Paris-based Why Not Productions. Meanwhile, Wild Bunch International is currently handling its world sales.
This marks Depp’s first project in nearly two years since filming Andrew Levitas’ 2020 film Minamata. He’s still currently in a legal battle against ex-wife Amber Heard, who accused him of domestic violence.
