JohnnyDepp-Zone.com

Entertainment Weekly honors Johnny and his performance as J. M. Barrie in FINDING NEVERLAND by placing Johnny on the cover of the magazine’s Fall Movie Preview issue. After many years of ignoring Johnny’s films, Entertainment Weekly seems finally to have discovered that Mr. Depp can act–better late than never, EW.

The Zone thanks Sam, who kept a sharp eye during the Entertainment Tonight segment on EW’s Fall Preview, and noticed a very familiar face on the cover of the magazine shown on the set: “The whole cover is one BIG J. M. Barrie close-up,” reports Sam. The issue should be on sale across North America by Friday, August 13. Cover date is a week later: August 20.

Although it seems absurdly early to talk about awards season, that’s just what film critics are starting to do. And FINDING NEVERLAND is finding favor with the critics. Dave Karger, writing in the August 13 issue of Entertainment Weekly, picks FINDING NEVERLAND as one of the ten “best bets” to score an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture! And since Johnny carries the movie with his performance as J. M. Barrie, his chances for a second Best Actor nod look very good.

Fox critic Roger Friedman writes: “Depp’s performance as Barrie is simply mesmerizing. [. . . ] He carries FINDING NEVERLAND from beginning to end, creating an indelible portrait of a very talented, conflicted man. This is the movie and the performance to watch when awards season kicks off late next month. ” Although Friedman is always a very good friend to Miramax films, his emphatic support for Johnny as Best Actor may signal that Miramax is no longer interested in pushing its other rumored Best Actor contender, Leonardo di Caprio in THE AVIATOR. Given the budget troubles at Miramax, the studio may have decided to concentrate its efforts on a single film, the one with the best chance of winning a major award . . . and it picked FINDING NEVERLAND.

Thanks to Sandstorm, Charlene, and Emma for sharing the Oscar news.