JohnnyDepp-Zone.com

Now that Johnny Depp is toplining a major musical in Tim Burton’s SWEENEY TODD, he’s popping up on producers’ wish lists for musical films as well as dramas and comedies. Case in point: Harvey Weinstein’s planned film of the Tony-winning Broadway musical NINE. NINE is based on Fellini’s classic film 8 1/2, and focuses on the midlife crisis and complex romantic entanglements of a great director (not unlike Fellini himself). The role of Guido garnered Tony nominations for the late Raul Julia in 1982, and Johnny’s ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO co-star Antonio Banderas in the 2003 Broadway revival. Weinstein has CHICAGO director Rob Marshall on board. “There are roles for six women in the movie who have to be beautiful and sing and dance . . . it’s a terrible assignment to cast this,” Weinstein told reporters, but director Marshall interjected, “Thrilling!” For the six major female roles, Weinstein says, “I’m thinking Gwyneth Paltrow, Anne Hathaway, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renee Zellweger.” Asked how he’ll pay all the A-list actresses’ salaries, Weinstein told the New York Post, “We’ll figure it out.” And for the role of Guido? Weinstein and Marshall are said to be considering George Clooney, Javier Bardem, Antonio Banderas and (you guessed it) Johnny Depp. Thanks to Gilbert’s Girl for this juicy rumor–while it’s not likely we’ll find Johnny on board, it will be interesting to see how Weinstein handles the math for NINE. –Part-Time Poet

The Tribeca Film Festival, which takes place in New York City from April 26 through May 6, 2007, will show the premiere of the documentary BRANDO. The film combines some never-before seen footage of the late actor with interviews with friends and colleagues, including Johnny Depp, Martin Scorsese, and Al Pacino. A production of Turner Classic Movies, the documentary will also air on the TCM cable channel on May 1st (Part 1) and May 2nd (Part 2) at 8 pm Eastern and Pacific, with repeat performances at 11 pm each day.

“Marlon Brando is probably the most influential actor of American cinema and one of the greatest cultural icons of the 20th century,” notes TCM on their website. “Brando changed the way we thought about acting and about movie stardom. [. . . It’s] hard to imagine the performances of the Deans, DeNiros and Depps without the influence–conscious or not–of Brando’s work. [. . .] Even now after his death, he remains an indelible screen persona and often still the actor against whom others are judged.” Thanks to Charlene for information about the Tribeca Film Festival and Theresa for Turner Classic Movies data. You can read more about the Brando documentary here: http://www.tcm.com/2007/brando/index.jsp –Part-Time Poet