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“One of the sweetest, funniest human beings you can possibly imagine”–Paul Bettany talks about Johnny Depp
In an interview with Kara Warner at Comic Con, Paul Bettany offered his reaction to shooting “a little indie movie” in Venice last spring — “The Tourist, with two unknown actors called Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie,” Bettany joked. “I think it was the first Paul Bettany movie they had ever been in and they were a little nervous.” And what was it like to work on the film? “I sort of fell massively in love with Johnny Depp,” said Bettany, “who’s just one of the sweetest, funniest human beings you can possibly imagine. [. . .] It’s so nice when you meet one of those people who make that much cash, that you kind of go, ‘I’m really glad it happened to you.’ It’s awesome.”
The photo above is the second official still released from The Tourist, which will be in theaters on December 10, 2010. To see a larger version of the photo, CLICK HERE. The Zone thanks Emma for the photo and FANtasticJD for the Paul Bettany interview; you can read more about The Tourist on the Zone’s News & Views forum.
August 31st, 2010 by Part-Time Poet
New video–Johnny Depp and Eddie Vedder in concert!
Johnny Depp was among the celebrities who joined Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam, Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks and Patti Smith at the Voices for Justice concert at Robinson Hall in Little Rock, Arkansas on Saturday, August 28th. The artists were raising funds for the defense of the West Memphis Three. Here is a brief sample of that concert, with Johnny Depp and Eddie Vedder performing “Society” from the film Into the Wild:
Just beautiful! Many thanks to Theresa, Emma, and Chenault for sharing videos–there are many clips from the concert available on You Tube and on the Zone’s Video Clips forum. Sirius radio will air a one-hour version of the Voices for Justice concert on Saturday, September 4 at 7 p.m. Eastern time. Catch it if you can!
August 30th, 2010 by Part-Time Poet
Johnny Depp performs at Voices for Justice concert for West Memphis Three–new photos!
Johnny Depp showed his support for the West Memphis Three by performing live at the Voices for Justice concert in Little Rock, Arkansas on Saturday, August 28th. The photo at left shows JD as he plays guitar alongside Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder–to see a larger version of the photo, CLICK HERE. JD also performed with longtime friend and Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame member Patti Smith. The Voices for Justice concert is a benefit for the legal defense fund of Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley, who were convicted in the 1993 deaths of three West Memphis boys.
During the concert, Johnny Depp read from Damien Echols’s journal; to see photos of Johnny reading Echols’s words, CLICK HERE and HERE.
The case of the West Memphis Three has gained international attention over the years — there have been two HBO documentaries, and Johnny Depp appeared on a CBS 48 Hours investigation of the case earlier this year. Lawyers for the convicted men have offered what they say is new DNA and forensic evidence in the case. Supporters of the West Memphis Three claim that police and prosecutors used the defendants’ fondness for heavy metal music to label them as Satanists and obtain a conviction with no physical evidence, and that the defendants, then teenagers, did not receive an adequate defense.
The Zone thanks Theresa, Emma, FANtasticJD, Sleepy, and Chenault for sharing pictures, news stories and videos about the Voices for Justice concert. You can read much more on the Zone’s News & Views forum.
August 28th, 2010 by Part-Time Poet
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES to film in Puerto Rico in October
The Film Corporation of Puerto Rico has confirmed that Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides will come to Puerto Rico to shoot some location sequences featuring Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow and Penelope Cruz as Angelica. Mariella Perez Serrano, director of the Film Corporation, told Primera Hora, “We are delighted with this achievement that Pirates 4 will film, in part, in Puerto Rico.” The newspaper is reporting that Johnny Depp will come to Puerto Rico in mid-September, with filming to begin off the coast of Fajardo in the first week of October and last for approximately two weeks. “Much of the film activity will occur on the island of Palominitos,” the article says.
Puerto Rico was under consideration as the primary location for On Stranger Tides, but lost out to Hawaii, where filming concluded in mid-August. Johnny Depp knows the island well, having shot The Rum Diary there in the spring of 2009. “It was not a secret that Depp was in love with Puerto Rico and made that clear in several interviews in the United States,” reports Primera Hora. “The actor did not forget Puerto Rico.”
The Zone thanks Emma for posting several machine translations of articles from the Puerto Rican press. You can read them on the Zone’s News & Views forum.
August 23rd, 2010 by Part-Time Poet
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 4: ON STRANGER TIDES films at Universal Studios
Filming of the fourth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, On Stranger Tides, has now shifted from Hawaii to locations in the Los Angeles area. The photo at left shows a set built on the lot at Universal Studios, where the locals have noticed activity this week; to see a larger version of the photo, CLICK HERE, and for a closer view of the main structure, CLICK HERE. The Zone thanks Emma and Dharma_bum for updates about the filming at Universal Studios; no one has yet sighted Captain Jack Sparrow on set, as Johnny Depp has been vacationing with his family in Hawaii this week. You can read much more about the filming of On Stranger Tides on the Zone’s News & Views forum.
August 19th, 2010 by Part-Time Poet
THE TOURIST, starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie, gets a December release date!
Great news–Sony Pictures has announced that Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s romantic thriller The Tourist, starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie, is now set to open December 10, 2010. (The previous release date was February 2011.) That will put some sparkle into the holiday season! A remake of the French thriller Anthony Zimmer, The Tourist features Johnny Depp as an American vacationing in Venice, Italy, who, while attempting to romance Angelina Jolie’s character, becomes embroiled in a web of international intrigue and suspense. Notes Ray Subers of Box Office Mojo, “This year has already been a good one for Depp and Jolie, as they have each had hits in Alice in Wonderland ($334.2 million) and Salt ($104.2 million and counting), respectively. [. . .] The Tourist will debut opposite The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and David O. Russell’s The Fighter.”
The Zone thanks DianaJ for sharing the good news; you can read more about The Tourist on the Zone’s News & Views forum.
August 18th, 2010 by Part-Time Poet
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 4: ON STRANGER TIDES bids “Aloha” to Hawaii
Director Rob Marshall’s Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides, starring Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, is scheduled to wrap its Hawaiian location filming on Oahu on Friday, August 13th. Scenes this week were filmed “in a large warehouse near Honolulu International Airport where some mega sets have been built,” reports AlohaUpdate.com. This site has been inaccessible to the public, unlike the previous two weeks when On Stranger Tides filmed scenes aboard the Queen Anne’s Revenge in Kaneohe Bay, and hundreds of people waited at He’eia Pier every day to see Johnny Depp. When the production leaves Hawaii at the end of its two-month shoot, Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer’s production companies will have spent around $100 million in Hawaii, according to the local media. That’s an enormous boost for the economy in these tough times.
After filming concludes on Oahu, the production is scheduled to move to Los Angeles, where a set is under construction on the Universal lot, and to Pinewood Studios in the UK for soundstage work.
The Zone thanks Theresa, Emma, and Dharma_bum for updates on Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides. You can read much more about the production on the Zone’s News & Views forum.
August 13th, 2010 by Part-Time Poet
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES to film at Pinewood Studios
When director Rob Marshall concludes location filming for Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides, the production will shift to Pinewood Studios in the UK for soundstage work. “Stars including Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Penelope Cruz and Ian McShane will be at the studios later this year to shoot their parts,” reports Jack Abel in the Buckinghamshire Advertiser (the studio is located in Iver Heath). Andrew Smith, group director of corporate affairs for Pinewood, told the press: “We are thrilled that Pirates of the Caribbean has chosen to film part of the latest installment in this fantastic series here at Pinewood. It’s great for the UK film industry and for Pinewood Studios in particular. We look forward to welcoming the entire cast and crew.”
Dates for shooting at Pinewood have not yet been confirmed. The Zone thanks Sleepy for sharing the article; you can read much more about the filming of On Stranger Tides on the Zone’s News & Views forum.
August 10th, 2010 by Part-Time Poet
Last chance–fans throng He’eia Pier to see Johnny Depp!
Hawaiian fans took advantage of their final chances to see Johnny Depp in person as Captain Jack Sparrow, waiting at He’eia Pier in Kaneohe as filming of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides continued this week. “A couple hundred screaming fans of all ages stood behind a barricade Thursday night, some for several hours, in the hopes of catching a glimpse, handshake or photo of actor Johnny Depp,” reports Nancy Arcayna of the StarAdvertiser. “They were rewarded for their devotion when, at about 10 p.m., the Oscar-nominated star made his way in costume as Captain Jack Sparrow to the set — a vessel built to resemble Blackbeard’s ship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge.”
Adds Arcayna, “Depp thrilled bystanders by walking close to the crowd and acknowledging their cheers, reaching for outstretched hands and stopping once or twice to say something to children. Once Depp was out of sight, fans were shooed away so that filming could begin without noise or distractions.” The photo at left was taken by a fan on August 2nd; to see a larger version, CLICK HERE. That’s security chief Jerry Judge standing next to Johnny.
Alas, the days of meet-and-greet at Kaneohe are coming to a close. Last Thursday “may have been the best chance for gawkers to see the star,” says Arcayna, “as filming at He’eia Kea reportedly has wrapped.” Nice seeing you, Captain Jack!
The Zone thanks Emma for the picture and news article; you can read much more about the filming of On Stranger Tides on the Zone’s News & Views forum.
August 8th, 2010 by Part-Time Poet
New video of Captain Jack Sparrow greeting fans in Hawaii!
While Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides has been filming this week at Heeia Kea Pier in Kaneohe, Hawaii, fans have lined up behind barricades, hoping to catch a glimpse of Johnny Depp in costume as Captain Jack Sparrow as he made his way to or from the pirate ship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge. They have not been disappointed, as this video attests:
How kind of Johnny to stop and say hello! Those who waited on the pier will remember his kindness forever. And the wide-eyed children will never forget the day they met Captain Jack Sparrow. Many thanks to AnaMaria for sharing the video; you can read much more about the filming of On Stranger Tides on the Zone’s News & Views forum.
August 6th, 2010 by Part-Time Poet
More photos of Johnny Depp with fans in Hawaii!
This extremely appealing photo of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow isn’t a studio shot–he is sitting inside an SUV, reaching through the open window to shake an awestruck admirer’s hand. This is the good Captain off-duty: the charm is every bit as incandescent off-screen. To see the photo, CLICK HERE.
It has been a particularly good week for Hawaiian fans hoping to catch a glimpse of JD; much of the Pirates filming was set on the Queen Anne’s Revenge, so those who waited at the pier in Kaneohe occasionally got to see him arrive or depart. New pictures from Thursday, July 29th show JD arriving in costume for some night shooting, accompanied by security chief Jerry Judge. To see the photos, CLICK HERE and HERE. Many thanks to Emma for sharing the photos; you can read much more about the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides on the Zone’s News & Views forum.
July 31st, 2010 by Part-Time Poet
Johnny Depp greets fans in Hawaii–new video!
After a full day of filming Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Johnny Depp–wearing a familiar bandanna and camo jacket with a Che Guevara patch–waved greetings to the fans waiting at He’eia Pier in Kaneohe, Hawaii as he left the set on Tuesday. That’s security chief Jerry Judge leaning out the front window:
Many thanks to Emma, Theresa, and Lu for sharing the news–you can see other videos and screencaps, as well as all the latest news from the filming of On Stranger Tides–on the Zone’s News & Views forum.
July 29th, 2010 by Part-Time Poet
ON STRANGER TIDES–Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz rehearse a dance! New photos
Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz continue work on Rob Marshall’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides; photographers snapped the two at sea aboard the Queen Anne’s Revenge, rehearsing a scene that appears to be a dance between Captain Jack Sparrow and Angelica, the woman from his past. To see a larger version of the photo at left, CLICK HERE, and to see another shot of the rehearsal, CLICK HERE. Notice that Captain Jack Sparrow’s beloved bottle of rum is prominently featured in both pictures! You can see the actors chatting with the crew HERE.
Many thanks to Evochka for sharing the pictures! You can read more about the filming of On Stranger Tides on the Zone’s News & Views forum, and a discussion of the pictures on the Pit General Discussion forum.
July 28th, 2010 by Part-Time Poet
First photos of Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz in ON STRANGER TIDES!
For the first time since filming began on Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides in Hawaii in mid-June, photos have surfaced of star (and new bride) Penelope Cruz at work. The photo at left shows her walking down a beach with Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow. To see a larger version of the photo, CLICK HERE, and to see another view of the pair walking down the beach, CLICK HERE. Ms. Cruz’s fabulous costume is, as always, by Penny Rose, who has designed all four of the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Nice hat!
For a behind-the-scenes photo (but beware, a bit spoilery) of Captain Jack and the mysterious woman from his past, CLICK HERE, and for a shot of JD and Penelope chatting between takes, CLICK HERE. The Zone thanks Evochka, AnaMaria, and Emma for photos; you can read much more about On Stranger Tides on the Zone’s News & Views forum, and a lively discussion of the latest photos on the Pit General Discussion forum. Radar Online.com has a set of 33 photos from the July 26th filming HERE, but beware of spoilers.
July 27th, 2010 by Part-Time Poet
Captain Jack Sparrow appears (via 3D video) at ComicCon!
Disney had a surprise in store for those who attended the Tron Legacy panel at ComicCon on Thursday, July 22nd. At the end of the panel, Disney screened a teaser for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides! Reports Silas Lesnick of ComingSoon.net, “Johnny Depp appeared as Captain Jack Sparrow in full 3D, sitting on the beach [in Hawaii, where On Stranger Tides is currently shooting] with a bottle of rum and speaking directly to the Comic-Con audience.” Here’s what Captain Jack told his audience:
“Hello, boys and girls . . .or whatever. My name is Captain Jack Sparrow. I take it some of you have heard of me. As you may well know, there are times — almost constantly, in fact — when I prefer to look at the world through the bottom of a glass.” (holding up a rum bottle) “Rum . . . something like this.
“You may have also heard whisperings and rumors, that Jack Sparrow be recruiting a crew to undertake a voyage to the Fountain of Youth. Not true! ‘Course not. But even if it weren’t not true, you wouldn’t be interested in joining me, would you, eh? No, thought not.
“I do admit, that there be varied and substantial dangers along the way, including, but not limited to, zombies, cutthroats, mermaids, and the vicious and vivacious Penelope Cruz. Which is why I’m not going. No, sir. Impossible to find the place anyway. No one knows where it is, plus I’d have to have a bloody map . . . or a bloody Mary . . . or both. Which is not a bad idea, in fact — bloody Mary.
“Bloody Marys all around! It’s on the Mouse.” (as he leaves) “Barman!”
Many thanks to FANtasticJD for breaking the news and for the screencap of Captain Jack, to Bermuda for a video of the ComicCon appearance, and to Theresa for the transcript of Jack’s remarks. It’s a pleasure to see him! You can read much more about Johnny Depp’s ComicCon appearance on the Zone’s News & Views forum. To see the Silas Lesnick article, CLICK HERE.
July 23rd, 2010 by Part-Time Poet
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In an interview with Kara Warner at Comic Con, Paul Bettany offered his reaction to shooting “a little indie movie” in Venice last spring — “The Tourist, with two unknown actors called Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie,” Bettany joked. “I think it was the first Paul Bettany movie they had ever been in and they were a little nervous.” And what was it like to work on the film? “I sort of fell massively in love with Johnny Depp,” said Bettany, “who’s just one of the sweetest, funniest human beings you can possibly imagine. [. . .] It’s so nice when you meet one of those people who make that much cash, that you kind of go, ‘I’m really glad it happened to you.’ It’s awesome.”
Johnny Depp showed his support for the West Memphis Three by performing live at the Voices for Justice concert in Little Rock, Arkansas on Saturday, August 28th. The photo at left shows JD as he plays guitar alongside Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder–to see a larger version of the photo, 
The Film Corporation of Puerto Rico has confirmed that Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides will come to Puerto Rico to shoot some location sequences featuring Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow and Penelope Cruz as Angelica. Mariella Perez Serrano, director of the Film Corporation, told Primera Hora, “We are delighted with this achievement that Pirates 4 will film, in part, in Puerto Rico.” The newspaper is reporting that Johnny Depp will come to Puerto Rico in mid-September, with filming to begin off the coast of Fajardo in the first week of October and last for approximately two weeks. “Much of the film activity will occur on the island of Palominitos,” the article says. 
Filming of the fourth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, On Stranger Tides, has now shifted from Hawaii to locations in the Los Angeles area. The photo at left shows a set built on the lot at Universal Studios, where the locals have noticed activity this week; to see a larger version of the photo, 
Great news–Sony Pictures has announced that Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s romantic thriller The Tourist, starring Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie, is now set to open December 10, 2010. (The previous release date was February 2011.) That will put some sparkle into the holiday season! A remake of the French thriller Anthony Zimmer, The Tourist features Johnny Depp as an American vacationing in Venice, Italy, who, while attempting to romance Angelina Jolie’s character, becomes embroiled in a web of international intrigue and suspense. Notes Ray Subers of Box Office Mojo, “This year has already been a good one for Depp and Jolie, as they have each had hits in Alice in Wonderland ($334.2 million) and Salt ($104.2 million and counting), respectively. [. . .] The Tourist will debut opposite The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and David O. Russell’s The Fighter.”
Director Rob Marshall’s Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides, starring Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, is scheduled to wrap its Hawaiian location filming on Oahu on Friday, August 13th. Scenes this week were filmed “in a large warehouse near Honolulu International Airport where some mega sets have been built,” reports AlohaUpdate.com. This site has been inaccessible to the public, unlike the previous two weeks when On Stranger Tides filmed scenes aboard the Queen Anne’s Revenge in Kaneohe Bay, and hundreds of people waited at He’eia Pier every day to see Johnny Depp. When the production leaves Hawaii at the end of its two-month shoot, Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer’s production companies will have spent around $100 million in Hawaii, according to the local media. That’s an enormous boost for the economy in these tough times. 
When director Rob Marshall concludes location filming for Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides, the production will shift to Pinewood Studios in the UK for soundstage work. “Stars including Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Penelope Cruz and Ian McShane will be at the studios later this year to shoot their parts,” reports Jack Abel in the Buckinghamshire Advertiser (the studio is located in Iver Heath). Andrew Smith, group director of corporate affairs for Pinewood, told the press: “We are thrilled that Pirates of the Caribbean has chosen to film part of the latest installment in this fantastic series here at Pinewood. It’s great for the UK film industry and for Pinewood Studios in particular. We look forward to welcoming the entire cast and crew.”
Hawaiian fans took advantage of their final chances to see Johnny Depp in person as Captain Jack Sparrow, waiting at He’eia Pier in Kaneohe as filming of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides continued this week. “A couple hundred screaming fans of all ages stood behind a barricade Thursday night, some for several hours, in the hopes of catching a glimpse, handshake or photo of actor Johnny Depp,” reports Nancy Arcayna of the StarAdvertiser. “They were rewarded for their devotion when, at about 10 p.m., the Oscar-nominated star made his way in costume as Captain Jack Sparrow to the set — a vessel built to resemble Blackbeard’s ship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge.”
This extremely appealing photo of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow isn’t a studio shot–he is sitting inside an SUV, reaching through the open window to shake an awestruck admirer’s hand. This is the good Captain off-duty: the charm is every bit as incandescent off-screen. To see the photo, 
Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz continue work on Rob Marshall’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides; photographers snapped the two at sea aboard the Queen Anne’s Revenge, rehearsing a scene that appears to be a dance between Captain Jack Sparrow and Angelica, the woman from his past. To see a larger version of the photo at left, 
Disney had a surprise in store for those who attended the Tron Legacy panel at ComicCon on Thursday, July 22nd. At the end of the panel, Disney screened a teaser for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides! Reports Silas Lesnick of ComingSoon.net, “Johnny Depp appeared as Captain Jack Sparrow in full 3D, sitting on the beach [in Hawaii, where On Stranger Tides is currently shooting] with a bottle of rum and speaking directly to the Comic-Con audience.” Here’s what Captain Jack told his audience:
