Whitey Bulger biopic "Black Mass" with Depp/Edgerton

[Schlosser85]

At one time set to be directed by Barry Levinson with Johnny Depp and Joel Edgerton starring, the Whitey Bulger drama "Black Mass" was shut down and seemed like one of those projects that may be forever troubled. Well, scratch that. Last month, it burbled back to life with Depp circled and "Out Of The Furnace" director Scott Cooper attached to helm, and just a couple of weeks later, the project is moving full steam ahead.

Deadline reports that not only is Depp now confirmed for "Black Mass," but Tom Hardy is in early talks to co-star. Based on the bestselling book by Dick Lehr and Gerald O’Neill, "Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob," and penned by Mark Mallouk, the film will tell the story of one of the FBI’s Most Wanted men and the fearsome leader of the The Winter Hill Gang, who counted murder and racketeering among his crimes. He was also an apparent informant to the FBI, which lends this tale a curious twist.

Depp will play Bulger, while Hardy will take the role of FBI agent John Connolly, a childhood friend who tipped off Bulger that he was going to be prosecuted, leading the gangster to go on the run.

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/whitey-bulger-pic-black-mass-back-on-with-johnny-depp-tom-hardy-to-co-star-20140207

I feel Depp has been coasting for quite a while now, but this could be the kind of project to get him to do some serious acting again. And Tom Hardy onboard doesn't hurt anything.

 

[kvz5]

It's too bad that Edgerton dropped out of this but obviously there's no lost in talent with Hardy taking over. Personally, I'm more interested in the other version of this with Matt Damon.

 

[Sawyer]

I want Johnny Depp to have a Bryan Cranston moment. No one knew him for anything but Malcolm and the Middle and smaller stuff before Breaking Bad started, and then it blew everyone's minds. I want Depp to do nothing but Burton movies and Disney fluff to the point that we all basically forget that he can do anything else at all, only for him to whip out something epic and blow all our minds.



But if he does good stuff with this, I suppose that will be acceptable too.

 

[Schlosser85]

I want Depp to do nothing but Burton movies and Disney fluff to the point that we all basically forget that he can do anything else at all

I think he crossed that point a while ago.

 

[Sawyer]

Not enough. He's done more movies without Burton than Burton has without him. He's peppered a few seemingly legitimate projects in there over the years.

I want him to basically be Mickey Mouse and then just turn on a dime.

 

[Schlosser85]

The last serious acting I remember from him is Public Enemies, which was 2009.

 

[MrMaooz]

Post Christian Grey’s S&M Obsession In ‘Fifty Shades’, Dakota Johnson To Play Mob Moll Opposite Johnny Depp In ‘Black Mass’

EXCLUSIVE: Fresh from what should be a star-making turn as Anastasia Steele in Fifty Shades Of Grey, Dakota Johnson is in early talks to play the love interest of Johnny Depp’s Whitey Bulger character in the Scott Cooper-directed Black Mass. Bulger has a couple of women in his life, but Johnson will play Lindsey, his girlfriend and the mother of his 6-year-old son Douglas, who dies tragically. The film is coming together quickly with Warner Bros distributing worldwide with Depp as Bulger, and Joel Edgerton as disgraced FBI agent John Connolly, who grew up with Bulger and was alleged to have tipped him off when the feds were closing in, leading Bulger to go on the lam for a decade until he was finally caught. Guy Pearce will play Bill Bulger, brother of the mobster who was president of the Massachusetts Senate and a major power broker in town.


Johnson, who is the daughter of Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith, is expected to return for what will be three and possibly four movies made from the E.L. James book. The first film, which also stars Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey, will be released by Universal and Focus Features on February 15, 2015. Taking a strong dramatic role opposite Depp seems like a good next step for the actress.

http://www.deadline.com/2014/03/post-christian-greys-sm-obsession-in-fifty-shades-dakota-johnson-to-play-mob-moll-opposite-johnny-depp-in-black-mass/

 

[Loki882]

So is Hardy playing Stephen "The Riflemen" Flemmi? As for Depp, anyone who honestly thinks that he CAN'T act seriously obviously couldn't be bothered to watch some of his older work. A Nightmare on Elm Street, Public Enemies, Platoon, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Donnie Brasco, etc. Heck even his earlier collaborations with Tim Burton like Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, and Sleepy Hollow were really good, and I also enjoyed Sweeny Todd. The man's a fantastic actor, he just perhaps enjoys playing weirdos a bit too much.

 

[kvz5]

Hardy's out. Edgerton's back in again (he was the one originally supposed to star with Depp anyway).

 

[redhawk23]

So is Hardy playing Stephen "The Riflemen" Flemmi? As for Depp, anyone who honestly thinks that he CAN'T act seriously obviously couldn't be bothered to watch some of his older work. A Nightmare on Elm Street, Public Enemies, Platoon, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Donnie Brasco, etc. Heck even his earlier collaborations with Tim Burton like Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, and Sleepy Hollow were really good, and I also enjoyed Sweeny Todd. The man's a fantastic actor, he just perhaps enjoys playing weirdos a bit too much.

It's more of a matter of whether he can still do it well. DeNiro's older work is all great, but that doesn't mean he's an indicator of quality in 2014.

 

[Loki882]

I don't think that that's any indication that the CAN'T still do it well, just that they don't WAN'T to. Depp's always been the kind of actor that only does projects that interest him personally, and right now he's interested in playing dress-up and acting weird. It doesn't mean that he CAN'T give a serious performance anymore. De Niro just seemingly doesn't give a crap anymore and just wants to have fun (that seems to happen to a lot of actors once they reach that age).

 

[Octoberist]

I do think that Depp is STILL a good actor but it's weird that I can't shake off Jack Sparrow when I think of modern Depp now. It's because of those nuances, facial expressions, and tics that he gave to Sparrow was pretty much an extension of Depp's overall acting and persona, abet exaggerated. Like when in the Tourist, even if he did ONE weird facial facial expression that reminds me of Sparrow, it throws me off.

That, and it's harder for him to get rid of that mid-Alantic accent that he has; like in The Tourist.

But he was really, really good in Public Enemies, even though it was shot poorly.

 

[Octoberist]

I don't think that that's any indication that the CAN'T still do it well, just that they don't WAN'T to. Depp's always been the kind of actor that only does projects that interest him personally, and right now he's interested in playing dress-up and acting weird. It doesn't mean that he CAN'T give a serious performance anymore. De Niro just seemingly doesn't give a crap anymore and just wants to have fun (that seems to happen to a lot of actors once they reach that age).

Keep in mind that Depp is still young enough* that he can still control the trajectory of his career. I don't fault De Niro for having fun, but no finally he's balancing it out a little better than in the 2000's, thanks to David O Russell..


*He looks ageless enough - dare I say immortal - to play someone in this mid 30's still. And will continue to do so, like in Black Mass, The Rum Diary, and other films.

 

[kvz5]