In the gory aftermath of The Lone Ranger’s great big misfire at the box office and with critics, Johnny Deep is said to be close to signing off on a double dip of the wackadoodle hatter from Wonderland. Essaying a role that wasn’t at all a stretch for him, he rode the character to a billion dollar payday for Disney back in 2010.
What is new is that Depp is in final discussions at Disney for the much anticipated Alice in Wonderland sequel..
That according to Deadline. Tim Burton will be sitting out this return to Lewis Carroll’s fantasy world, with The Muppets director James Bobin lined up to step into the big and gothy clownshoes.
Variety also broke the news that Depp is shipping his production company, Infinitum Nihil, from Warner Bros. to Disney, with a new multi-year, first-look deal in place.
However, still according to Variety:
The deal with Warner Bros. expired in 2011, and the Disney deal was quietly brokered several months ago.
It certainly looks like whoever is steering the Depp public relations vehicle is desperate to put out some “people still believe in Johnny, and so do you…remember?” vibes. Another turn at the helm for Captain Jack Sparrow is also on the cards with the fifth Pirates of the Caribbean movie, set to be released sometime in 2015.
It might be far too early to say that the shine is starting to come of the beloved Depp schtick, but a return to two billion dollar franchises seems like a good way to repair some of that Tonto-induced damage.
Last Updated: July 15, 2013
James Francis
July 15, 2013 at 15:07
So they weren’t done in Narnia yet?