During a San Sebastian press conference for his latest directorial outing, “Modi, Three Days on the Wing of Madness,” Johnny Depp reflected on the nearly three decades since his last feature outing, 1997’s much-maligned “The Brave.”
Asked to compare his own experiences with those of his film’s protagonist — the bohemian artist Amedeo Modigliani — Depp said both of them have had to earn their stripes.
“Sure, we can say that I’ve been through a number of things here and there, but I’m alright,” he said.
Depp then seemed to allude to his recent legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard, saying, “I think we’ve all been through a number of things, ultimately… Maybe yours didn’t turn into a soap opera, televised in fact, but we all experience and go through what we go through.”
“Modi” unspools over 72 frantic hours in the life of bohemian artist Amedeo Modigliani (Riccardo Scamarcio) as he navigates through a war-torn Paris and the country’s vibrant art scene in 1916. Hiding from the police after a confrontation in a bougie restaurant, Modi mulls over the possible end of his career and life in the City of Light. After receiving advice from his art dealer and friend, Leopold Zborowski (Stephen Graham), Modi risks everything for a meeting with American collector Maurice Gangnat (Al Pacino), who could transform him from starving artist to global megastar with a word.
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Depp was in a reflective mood for much of the discussion. He said his more recent experience directing was “infinitely more positive” than the one he went through helming “The Brave,” a film in which he also acted and which was dead on arrival with critics and audiences when it was released more than a quarter-century ago.
This time around, Depp says the experience “allowed me to be able to really see and experience that sort of… to basically be a giant toddler, as I am, and to understand that when you’re making a film at the very least, it’s gotta be fun.”
The day’s biggest laugh came when Depp talked about why the directing process may not be for him and what challenged him the most when working on “Brave.”
“Too much math, man,” he complained. “The mathematics. This has to coincide and correlate with that… You find yourself in some structured hole, and I don’t want to be there.”
“Modi,” he said, was entirely different. “This, for me, was like music. The melody or the chords are gonna dictate what you put on as the next layer in terms of recording music. Same thing with this film. It was an opportunity to go, ‘Okay, I don’t have to do shit except sit here and watch these actors live and behave and react.’”
That left the assembled press with one outstanding question: Will Depp direct again?
“I’ll never do it again. Never again,” he declared confidently before quickly reconsidering. “I might. Sorry. I apologize. I might.”
As a project, “Modi” has been around for decades, shepherded by Academy Award-winning actor Pacino, who hand-picked Depp to direct. It’s produced by Barry Navidi and Depp’s U.K.-based production label IN.2.
The review embargo for “Modi” was lifted just ahead of today’s press conference, and the few early reactions that have been published so far have been largely positive, expressing surprise at how much fun the writers had watching the film. It’s early, but so far, things look much brighter than Depp’s 1997 directorial feature debut “The Brave.”
“Modi” is one of Depp’s first projects since his 2022 court battle with Heard, in which he sued her for defamation after she accused him of domestic abuse. Depp ultimately won the case, though the controversy caused by it has impacted his career. He made his festival comeback in Cannes last year with a starring role in Maïwenn’s “Jeanne du Barry,” but has yet to truly rebound in Hollywood.
In an interview with Variety, “Modi” producer Navidi said it’s “just a matter of time” before Depp is fully embraced by the industry again. “This movie perhaps is going to help and, at the same time, open doors,” Navidi said. “I know that his popularity is one thing in Hollywood — but the masses, the world, they love him.”
Depp has enjoyed a strong relationship with San Sebastian over the past several years. He won a jury award as a producer for “Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan” in 2020, launched IN.2 here in 2021 and received the Donostia career achievement award in 2021. “Modi, Three Days on the Wing of Madness” will world premiere on Tuesday evening before screening twice more at this year’s festival.
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