After being rumored for Doctor Strange earlier today, we’re now hearing that Johnny Depp, coming off the box office bomb that was The Lone Ranger, is looking to head back into talks for the Whitey Bulger biopic, Black Mass. Furthermore, Out of the Furnace director Scott Cooper is on board to helm and re-write the screenplay, according to Deadline.
If you recall, Depp was attached to this project last year but when he was asked to take a pay cut, he departed. Now, however, the actor is looking to re-join the Mark Mallouk-penned film, which is based on Dick Lehr and Gerald O’Neill’s bestselling novel Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob.
Of course, the story would focus on Bulger, the infamous gangster who found himself on the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted list for many years. Unfortunately, Depp is still in talks and is not confirmed just yet. Plus, with Alice in Wonderland and Pirates of the Caribbean sequels on the horizon, it might be tough to find a time when he’s free to shoot this. That being said, if he is able to do the film, I’d love to see him sink his teeth into a meaty part like this, especially with Cooper at the helm.
I was actually one of the few people who really enjoyed the director’s last effort and think that him and Depp could do quite well working together. As evidenced in Crazy Heart and Out of the Furance, Cooper always gets the best out of his cast and it would be interesting to see what he could do with a charismatic and talented actor like Depp.
Tell us, do you want to see Johnny Depp and Scott Cooper make Black Mass together? Let us know in the comments section below.