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“Kind and generous and so smart”–ALICE’s Mia Wasikowska discusses Johnny Depp

In a recent interview with Geoff Boucher of the Los Angeles Times, Mia Wasikowska, who plays Alice in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, explained that while green-screen filmmaking is disorienting and “really strange,” it also suits the material. “Wonderland itself is bizarre and weird and comical and confusing, so it’s appropriate that [. . .] we were in this green-screen environment where it doesn’t always make sense to you. Things were just really odd and weird, and I suppose that [. . .] put you in the right frame of mind. And it made you rely on your imagination more.”

When asked specifically for her impression of the actor who plays the Mad Hatter, Wasikowska had this to say about Johnny Depp: “He is such a cool guy. He has the humanity to keep this sense of self. He’s very kind and generous and so smart. To be able to watch Johnny [. . .] as he takes something from the page to reality and how hard he works and what he brought to it and how much he brought to it, it’s was amazing. It is inspiring too that he does things in a purely joyous way and has fun with it all, because so often there are people who seem disgruntled. To keep that love of what you do is so important. And watching him and Tim work together is fun. They have a very deep rapport. Watching them, it’s like they speak their very own language.”

The Zone thanks Theresa for sharing the interview; you can read all of Wasikowska’s comments on the Zone’s Porch forum.

February 7th, 2010 by Part-Time Poet

Variety confirms it–Johnny Depp is directing a documentary on Keith Richards

Variety’s Dave McNary confirms what the Zone reported in mid-January: Johnny Depp is directing a documentary about rock legend/Rolling Stone guitarist and sometime actor Keith Richards. “A rep for Depp confirmed a recent report in the Serbian magazine Politika, in which he said he would begin work on the project next week,” reports McNary. “Depp and Richards have been friends for more than a decade.”

Unfortunately, McNary’s story was victimized by sloppy headline-writing; Variety used “Actor to begin work on the project next week” in their headline, and that information was picked up by media outlets and widely reported. But it is not correct. Had the headline-writer read more carefully, he or she would have noticed what Zone readers already know–when Johnny Depp told a Serbian reporter that he would begin the documentary “next week,” Johnny was in Serbia, speaking at the Kustendorf International Film Festival in mid-January. The headline writer failed to allow for the time it took for the Serbian magazine to get to press. Production on the documentary has been underway for some time; Johnny filmed segments at the Los Angeles Theatre (with Keith Richards, Patti Smith, and other musicians) last weekend.

The Zone thanks FANtasticJD for sharing the Variety story; you can read more about the Keith Richards documentary, called Happy, on the Zone’s Pit forum. The original story from Kustendorf is on the News & Views forum.

February 5th, 2010 by Part-Time Poet

Disney hosts ALICE IN WONDERLAND “Ultimate Fan Event” on February 19th to celebrate “Almost Alice” album

Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Records join forces with Hot Topic, KIIS-FM, MySpace and musical artists from the album Almost Alice to celebrate the upcoming release of Tim Burton’s 3D version of Alice in Wonderland by hosting an “ultimate fan event” on February 19th in Los Angeles. The event seems to be primarily a concert featuring artists who appear on the Almost Alice album, with 3OH!3, Metro Station, Family Force 5, Kerli and Never Shout Never scheduled to perform live. For those not in that music demographic, Disney is also promising that Alice director Tim Burton will attend “to introduce select members of the Alice in Wonderland cast.” No word on whether the Mad Hatter will be included among the cast members on hand, but the event does occur during the Alice press junket when the talent will be in town.

The star-studded concert event begins at 5 p.m. on Feb. 19, 2010, at the Hollywood & Highland Center’s Central Courtyard. If you can’t get to Los Angeles, the event will be streamed live on MySpace HERE. Disney promises that “viewers around the world” will be able to “experience the event first-hand, see exclusive backstage interviews with talent and interact by posting comments and questions to the page.” Sounds exciting!

The Zone thanks Theresa for breaking the news; you can read more about the Ultimate Fan Event, and all other news surrounding the release of Alice in Wonderland, on the Zone’s News & Views forum.

February 4th, 2010 by Part-Time Poet

ALICE IN WONDERLAND world premiere in London on February 25th

Tim Burton’s new 3D version of Alice in Wonderland will have its world premiere at Leicester Square in London on February 25th . . . with royalty in attendance. The premiere will be a charity fundraiser for The Prince’s Foundation for Children and the Arts, an educational charity which (according to the press release) “aims to help all British children to discover the arts as ‘an enjoyable part of life.’” Expect extremely tight security at the venue, as the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will attend. Hollywood royalty should also be present–although nothing is confirmed yet, “Alice In Wonderland’s stars–who include Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway and Helena Bonham Carter–are expected to join the royal guests on the night.” One could surely add Tim Burton to the “expected to attend” list as well.

The press junket for Alice in Wonderland will take place a week earlier in Los Angeles; dates are February 18th-February 20th. The Zone thanks Emma and Mariah627 for sharing the news; you can read more about the Alice in Wonderland premiere on the Zone’s News & Views forum. To read an announcement on DigitalSpy.uk, CLICK HERE. –Part-Time Poet

February 3rd, 2010 by Part-Time Poet

BREAKING NEWS–Johnny Depp and Keith Richards film documentary in Los Angeles!

The photo at left shows Johnny Depp as he emerges from the Los Angeles Theatre in downtown LA on Saturday, January 30th, where he was filming Happy, his documentary about rock-and-roll legend Keith Richards. In the larger version of the photo, CLICK HERE, Keith Richards (wearing a fedora) can be seen exiting the theater behind Johnny. Also present at the film shoot were Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Patti Smith and multi-Grammy winner Norah Jones. Vanessa Paradis brought Lily-Rose and Jack to the theater to share the excitement.

Our first hint that Johnny was making a documentary about Keith Richards came at the Kustendorf International Film Festival two weeks ago, when Johnny told a reporter about the project and said he was touched that Richards had agreed to participate. Now cameras are rolling! Congratulations, Johnny–we can’t wait to see Happy!

The Zone thanks Theresa and Bonnie for breaking the news; you can read more about the Saturday filming on the Zone’s Pit forum. –Part-Time Poet

February 1st, 2010 by Part-Time Poet

"I think this will be . . . a great role for you"–Graham King explains how he enticed Johnny Depp into filming THE TOURIST

In an interview with Steve “Frosty” Weintraub of Collider.com, producer Graham King described how he became involved with his upcoming film The Tourist, and how he persuaded Johnny Depp to join the project. One day, said King, he received a call from Gary Barber at Spyglass Entertainment, who suggested King might be interested in The Tourist. “And I read it and I saw a movie–I saw a great movie. And I watched the original, Anthony Zimmer, the French movie, and I really liked that.” Angelina Jolie was already attached to the project at this time: “[She] really wanted to play this role and work with Florian [director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck], who obviously did The Lives of Others and has a lot of talent.”

The next step for the producer was bringing Johnny Depp on board. “I [ . . . ] sent Johnny the script and I said, ‘I think this will be really a great role for you.’ And I went over to see him and we spoke about it, and he read it, and he saw the original, and he said, ‘I love it.’ And he said, ‘It’s really, really special.’” Adds King, with obvious enthusiasm, “All of a sudden I’ve got Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie in a movie, you know? Which is a really fun feeling, right?”

“I think that’s one you’ll be on the set of,” reporter Weintraub commented, and King replied, “Every day. [. . .] Me and 300,000 paparazzi.” The producer also said the start of filming is “around the corner;” he expects to start at the end of February.

The Zone thanks reyhan for posting the interview with Graham King; you can read it on the Zone’s News & Views forum. King has many interesting things to say about his projects with Johnny, including The Rum Diary and Dark Shadows. –Part-Time Poet

January 30th, 2010 by Part-Time Poet

Johnny Depp to perform on charity single for Haiti–"I Put a Spell on You"

Johnny Depp is joining longtime friend Shane MacGowan, frontman of The Pogues, Nick Cave and other musicians to record a cover of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ 1956 classic “I Put A Spell On You.” All proceeds from sales of the single will go to Haitian earthquake relief. Not a lot of details are available yet, but British singer Paloma Faith tweeted this from Friday’s recording session: “I feel I have accomplished something. Singing with Nick Cave, Bobby Gillespie, Shane Mcgowan, Johnny Depp!, Chrissie Hynde! I have arrived.” Many thanks to Theresa and FANtasticJD for this exciting news; you can read more on the Zone’s News and Views forum. –Part-Time Poet

January 28th, 2010 by Part-Time Poet

THE TOURIST, with Johnny Depp, begins filming March 1st in Venice

Preparations for Johnny Depp’s next film, The Tourist, are quietly underway: director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck will begin shooting in Venice on March 1st and filming will continue until May. A casting call has been issued for actors and 1,000 extras to appear in The Tourist, which will feature scenes at the Rialto market, in Piazza San Marco, and at a palace overlooking the Grand Canal. Sounds breathtaking! If you live in the area and would like to appear as an extra in The Tourist, selections will be held on Tuesday February 2nd, Wednesday February 3rd and Thursday, February 4th, from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Ca ‘Zanardi, 4132 Cannaregio. There are no age restrictions, but do bring a valid ID and a recent photo.

Johnny Depp’s co-star in The Tourist is Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie. You may have heard of her.

The Zone thanks Emma for the news; you can read more about The Tourist (often in very amusing but somewhat incoherent machine translations from Italian) on the Zone’s News and Views forum. –Part-Time Poet

January 27th, 2010 by Part-Time Poet

Ignore the Twitter hoax–Johnny Depp is alive and well

Once again, reports of Johnny Depp’s death are greatly exaggerated. A false report (actually a copy of an Internet death hoax about Johnny that circulated several years ago) began making the rounds on Sunday claiming that JD had died in a car accident in France over the weekend. According to E!News, fans began posting “RIP Johnny Depp” messages on their Twitter pages, sending the story spreading like wildfire. Be careful what you tweet, folks . . . because this story was bogus. (And so is the well-traveled hoax that claims Johnny Depp died in a fall in the mountains in New Zealand–that one resurfaces every couple of years.)

Robin Baum, JD’s longtime publicist, issued the following statement to the media: “He isn’t dead. He’s fine.” So there you have it: good news. –Part-Time Poet

January 25th, 2010 by Part-Time Poet

"Trying to . . . make the actors as great as they can be"–Director Rob Marshall on PIRATES 4

MTV’s movie reporter Josh Horowitz spoke to Rob Marshall on the red carpet at the Golden Globes (where Marshall’s Nine was nominated) and asked the director for an update on his next project, Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides. “We’ve now started, officially,” Marshall replied; Pirates 4 is scheduled to film this summer. “I’m talking to Johnny and it’s been great. I’ve been working already. I’m spending a lot of time with [producer] Jerry Bruckheimer, learning this whole adventure of this . . . different genre for me, which I feel so at home [with] already.”

Asked how he will make On Stranger Tides “his own,” Marshall replied, “I never quite think of myself in terms of putting a stamp on anything. I think we’re just trying to bring what’s on the page to life, to make the actors as great as they can be, serve them, serve the material.”

The Zone thanks Emma for the interview with Rob Marshall; you can read more about Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides on the Zone’s News & Views forum. –Part-Time Poet

January 23rd, 2010 by Part-Time Poet

ALICE IN WONDERLAND featured on the cover of March TOTAL FILM

Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter graces the cover of the March 2010 issue of Total Film. Inside, a six-page article by Mark Salisbury describes the filming and includes Q&As with the film’s Alice, Mia Wasikowska, and Johnny Depp, as well as remarks from director Tim Burton, Helena Bonham Carter, and Anne Hathaway. “I was telling Tim, I think this guy’s poisoned and that’s what makes him mad. Obviously that’s where the term came from, ‘mad as a hatter,’” Johnny tells Salisbury. “You always get images in your head of what the guy should look like [. . .], and for some reason I thought he should look like a lit match.”

The Zone thanks In-too-Depp for sharing the Total Film article; you can find it on the Zone’s News & Views forum. –Part-Time Poet

January 23rd, 2010 by Part-Time Poet

Mad Hatter shows emotions "like a mood ring," says Johnny Depp

The photo at left shows Johnny Depp during a newly released promotional interview for Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. Describing his character, the Mad Hatter, Johnny says, “He’s unpredictable. You see instantly what he’s feeling, like a mood ring. His emotions are very, very close to the surface. Being able to play the Mad Hatter, to breathe life into that, was a dream come true.”

Johnny also has an explanation for the Mad Hatter’s temperament, which could perhaps best be described as “mercurial.” In an earlier interview, Johnny told reporter Rachel Abramowitz of the Los Angeles Times that he believes the Mad Hatter was a victim of mercury poisoning. “In the 18th and 19th centuries, mercury was used in the manufacture of felt, and when used in hats it could be absorbed through the skin and affect the mind,” Abramowitz wrote. Hatters who suffered from mercury poisoning developed “an orange tint” to their hair . . . “hence Depp’s interest in adding brushstrokes of that particular watercolor to his portrait.”

The Zone thanks Emma for sharing the interview; you can read more about Alice in Wonderland on the Zone’s News and Views forum. To see a larger version of AnaMaria’s screencap of Johnny’s interview, CLICK HERE. Thanks to AnaMaria for sharing it with us. –Part-Time Poet

January 21st, 2010 by Part-Time Poet

"Unconventional" Johnny Depp on cover of February GQ

That’s Johnny Depp on the cover of the February issue of GQ, in a 1999 photo by Patrick DeMarchelier. (Clues that this is an older photo? Several missing tattoos and a cigarette-in-hand.) The accompanying feature is called “The 25 Most Stylish Men in the World, 2010,” and Johnny tops the list. Explaining the reason for the honor, Barney’s Creative Director, Simon Doonan, says, “Johnny Depp’s a unicorn–a really glamorous, one-of-a-kind eccentric. Usually guys try to fit in; they don’t want to get criticized. At any red-carpet event, there are going to be guys who look spiffy in their Prada or Armani tuxedos, but you wait for Johnny Depp, because he’s always going to look super-groovy and unconventional. He wears great man jewelry. He doesn’t shy away from color. He’s always peeking through his amazing hair. It doesn’t matter if Johnny Depp’s lying in a ditch–he’s always going to look incredible.”

The Zone thanks FANtasticJD for breaking the news and AnaMaria for the cover photo. To see a larger version of the cover, CLICK HERE. The February issue of GQ will be on sale on January 26th. –Part-Time Poet

January 20th, 2010 by Part-Time Poet

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 4: ON STRANGER TIDES to film in Hawaii this summer

Captain Jack Sparrow will be sailing well west of the Caribbean when Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides goes before the cameras later this year. Disney has confirmed that On Stranger Tides, with Chicago’s Rob Marshall directing, will shoot on the Hawaiian islands of Kauai and Oahu this summer; preproduction will start in the spring. Bob Iger, President and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, met with Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle on Friday, January 15th, to deliver the good news (and it is very good news for Hawaii, since the production will pump as much as $85 million into the local economy).

“The Walt Disney Company has a great relationship with Hawaii that we’re looking forward to building upon with the filming of the latest adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow and his crew,” Mr. Iger said. “I thank Governor Lingle and her team for their tremendous support of the projects Disney has underway in this great state.”

“Hawaii provides an amazing range of both land and seascapes, and we’re delighted to return for On Stranger Tides,” said producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Sequences in previous Pirates films were shot on Maui and Molokai. Mr. Bruckheimer said his production company has always sought out “the most extraordinary and exotic locations for the Pirates of the Caribbean films.”

The Zone thanks Theresa and Emma for breaking the news; you can read more about Pirates 4 on the Zone’s News & Views forum. Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides is due in theaters May 20, 2011. –Part-Time Poet

January 19th, 2010 by Part-Time Poet

UK Vogue names Johnny Depp one of its "Best Dressed Men"

Deppheads who can remember when Johnny Depp was regularly taken to task in fashion columns for his idiosyncratic attire will be pleased (and perhaps amused) to hear that UK Vogue has named Johnny one of its “Best Dressed Men.” Says Vogue, “His eccentric red carpet get-ups show an originality of dress that is always impressive. He never fails to look as though every element of his look–from pocket watch to jewellry–has received due consideration, as though he’s always in character–but he wears it all with an irresistible nonchalance.” The cliche is that clothes make the man, but in Johnny Depp’s case, clearly the opposite is true.

To see a larger photo of Johnny on the red carpet at the London premiere of Public Enemies, CLICK HERE. The Zone thanks FANtasticJD for sharing the news. –Part-Time Poet

January 16th, 2010 by Part-Time Poet

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