Deadline is reporting that Mortdecai, the action comedy starring Johnny Depp, has been set for a February 6th, 2015 release date by Lionsgate. Based on the 1970s novels by Kyril Bonfiglioli, the film focuses on the titular art dealer and part-time rouge, who “juggles angry Russians, the British Mi5, his impossibly leggy wife and an international terrorist as he travels the globe in a race to recover a stolen painting rumored to contain the code to a lost bank account filed with Nazi gold.”
With David Koepp behind the camera, and a supporting cast that boasts Ewan McGregor, Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Bettany, Olivia Munn, Oliver Platt, Aubrey Plaza, and Jeff Goldblum, things are looking pretty promising for the first film in this planned trilogy. Though I haven’t read the novels, Mortdecai sounds like an Indiana Jones-esque type adventure, with a whole bunch of globetrotting, mystery and evil villains. Honestly, I think it could be a ton of fun, especially with the all-star cast that’s in place.
My only worry here is Mr. Depp. The A-list actor is coming off one of the worst opening weekends of his career with Transcendence, and he seems to be on a bit of a decline. Films like The Lone Ranger and Dark Shadows, along with the aforementioned Transcendence, have proven that Johnny Depp is not the box office draw that he once was. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still incredibly enjoyable and entertaining to watch on the big screen, but his past few efforts have been total duds.
That being said, with an upcoming slate that includes Black Mass, Into The Woods and of course, Mortdecai, among others, hopefully we’ll soon see a return to form for Mr. Depp. After all, the only other notable releases opening against Lionsgate’s upcoming trilogy-starter are Run All Night and Seventh Son, so I don’t think that Mortdecai will have too much trouble taking the top spot at the box office that weekend.