Happy news for Depp watchers–Johnny Depp will return to The Late Show with David Letterman on Thursday night, June 25th! Megan Fox of Transformers is also scheduled to appear on the program, so anyone planning to wait outside the Ed Sullivan Theater in hopes of seeing Johnny should plan on a very large crowd that day. Johnny Depp last visited Letterman’s show in July 2006 to promote Dead Man’s Chest (see photo). The Zone thanks FANtasticJD, Rinda and Marijose for sharing the news; you can read more on the Zone’s News & Views forum. –Part-Time Poet

The Johnny Depp Zone is delighted to announce that our 2009 Birthday Project in support of the San Jorge Children’s Foundation in Puerto Rico raised a grand total of $7,035.22! What an outpouring of love and kindness–donations flowed in to the Birthday Project from all over the world.

Thank you so much to all the donors who contributed to our birthday gift for Johnny Depp; your generosity is truly inspiring. Thanks for bringing this year’s Birthday Project to such a joyous conclusion. –Part-Time Poet

As the July 1st release of Public Enemies nears, cable TV is unspooling promotional and behind-the-scenes looks at Michael Mann’s film. Public Enemies: HBO First Look offers a 13-minute feature which “goes behind the scenes of Public Enemies, starring Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard and Billy Crudup.” Billed as an “inside look at this retro crime drama about the federal effort to stop the organized crime wave led by John Dillinger,” the feature airs for the first time on Thursday, June 18th at 04:15 p.m. and 10:45 p.m. on HBO – EAST and at 7:15 p.m. on HBO – WEST. It will be repeated numerous times during the month of June and July; for a full schedule, see the Zone’s News & Views forum. Thanks to Emma and addicted2depp for the news.

The Discovery Channel is also offering a “first look” at Public Enemies during Time Warp, which airs on Wednesday, June 17th at 8 p.m. Eastern time. Thanks to tocnavforjd for breaking the news.

Both “first look” specials will be packed with spoilers, though, so if you are the type of moviegoer who likes to be surprised in the theater, you may want to avoid these mini-documentaries until you have seen Public Enemies. –Part-Time Poet

Donald G. Asher is an award-winning journalist–a Pulitzer Prize nominee, no less–but he had never stepped before the cameras until he answered a casting call for extras for Michael Mann’s Public Enemies last year. The director wanted actual reporters to play the reporters in that scene where a captured John Dillinger meets the press. Mr. Asher won the role of “Reporter #1,” and he asks that famous question that we’ve heard in the Public Enemies trailers. He has also used his journalistic expertise to write about his experience filming Public Enemies, and it is a wonderful read, packed with careful observation and telling details. Great pictures, too! Mr. Asher’s article, called “Public Enemies Confidential,” appears in Shore Magazine. You can read it via a link on the Zone’s News & Views forum–many thanks to Emma for finding and sharing the Asher article–or CLICK HERE.

The Zone congratulates Donald G. Asher on his film debut and thanks him for sharing his behind-the-scenes experience. We loved reading it! –Part-Time Poet

More good news for European Deppheads: Public Enemies will screen as part of Festival Paris Cinema, a 12-day celebration of the best films from around the world. Public Enemies will have its Paris premiere on the opening day of the festival, Thursday, July 2nd, at UGC Normandie. The festival website lists Michael Mann, Marion Cotillard and Johnny Depp as “presenting” the film, so we will look forward to seeing them there! The Zone thanks Emma for breaking the news and sharing the new photo from Public Enemies. To see a larger version of the photo of John Dillinger and Billie Frechette dancing, CLICK HERE. –Part-Time Poet

Johnny Depp celebrated his 46th birthday on June 9th with a two-stage party in old San Juan. The first began after 8 p.m., as filming finished for the day, and the Rum Diary production staff presented Johnny with a cake. This impromptu celebration took place on the balcony of a house overlooking O’Donnell Street and was captured by an enterprising videographer who posted the video on You Tube. To see the video, CLICK HERE, and to see a screencap of Johnny blowing out the candles on his birthday cake, CLICK HERE. Joining Johnny on the balcony as he receives his cake are Rum Diary director and screenwriter Bruce Robinson and director of photography Dariusz Wolski–and that’s security chief Jerry Judge carefully removing the extinguished candles from the cake afterward. How charming!

San Juan newspapers report that the party continued at midnight in a more formal setting: The Parrot Club, on Calle Fortaleza in Old San Juan. “Johnny Depp was the soul of the party, and shared and took photos with everyone,” says El Nuevo Dia. Actors Michael Rispoli, Giovanni Ribisi, and Amber Heard joined Bruce Robinson and about 150 crew members at the Parrot Club. Johnny’s birthday gifts? A vintage guitar and that sweet circa-1960 red Corvette featured prominently in the film.

The Zone thanks Emma for news articles and the Parrot Club photograph, AnaMaria for the You Tube screencap, and Evochka, Clare d(london), and Theresa for the video clip. To see a photo of Johnny at the Parrot Club with its owner, Emilio Figueroa, CLICK HERE. –Part-Time Poet

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer contradicts a report in Jim Hill’s blog that claimed his new version of The Lone Ranger would see production before his Pirates of the Caribbean 4. Not so, says Mr. Bruckheimer: Johnny Depp will set sail on the Black Pearl again before he saddles up as Tonto. “It’s a great franchise for them [Disney] and for us, too,” he told Edward Douglas of ComingSoon.net. “We love the character and Johnny was really excited about coming back to Captain Jack. He certainly is interested in Tonto, but Disney’s priority is to get Pirates made first.” The producer did not mention any scheduling dates, however, and he did leave his options open. “You never know what’s going to happen,” Mr. Bruckheimer conceded, “but they [Disney] would like it.”

Neither Pirates 4 nor The Lone Ranger seems to have gotten past the script-writing stage of development yet, and since POTC scribes Terry Rossio and Ted Elliott are writing both films, one project will have to take precedence. Mr. Bruckheimer told ComingSoon.net that the duo are “writing Pirates as we speak,” but other than promising that the script would be “funny” and “a whole new way of going,” the producer would divulge no details about Captain Jack Sparrow’s 4th adventure. Asked if there were any chance director Gore Verbinski might return to the pirate crew now that his plans to film Bioshock have hit a snag, Mr. Bruckheimer replied, “You never know. He created the franchise so we’d love to have him back, but it’s kind of up to him.”

As for The Lone Ranger, Mr. Bruckheimer said that casting of the Ranger will wait “until they got a director and Disney says to go make the movie.” Apparently neither of these events have happened yet, so those reports that Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) was already in the director’s chair were premature. “We don’t have a director yet,” Mr. Bruckheimer said. Newell’s current project, Prince of Persia, is in post-production and scheduled for a summer 2010 release: “He’s too busy on Prince of Persia right now.”

The Zone thanks Emma for posting the interview with Jerry Bruckheimer; you can read more on the News & Views forum. –Part-Time Poet

Here’s a hot rumor for everyone in the Midwest: chicagobusiness.com is reporting that Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, and director Michael Mann will attend a special screening of Public Enemies for an invited audience in Chicago on June 18, 2009. The date coincides with the press junket for Public Enemies, so it’s plausible; what is not clear (yet) is whether this is a full-fledged premiere, with a red carpet and a chance for the general public to glimpse the stars arriving, or if only the specially-invited guests will be so fortunate.

Here’s what chicagobusiness.com is saying: “A-list actors Johnny Depp and Christian Bale and Public Enemies director Michael Mann are returning to Chicago next week to headline the premiere of their film about John Dillinger. The hush-hush event, set for June 18 at the AMC River East theater, is by invitation only, and the ticket is a must-have among Chicago’s movie-loving elite. A private party at the River East Art Center follows.” We’ll keep a sharp eye on this developing story–watch the Zone’s News & Views forum for updates. The Zone thanks Emma for sharing the news. –Part-Time Poet

Universal Pictures will present the European premiere of Michael Mann’s gangster epic Public Enemies, starring Johnny Depp as the legendary bank robber John Dillinger, in London on Monday, June 29th. The film will screen at the Empire in Leicester Square. Johnny Depp, director Michael Mann, and Marion Cotillard, who plays Dillinger’s girlfriend Billie Frechette, are scheduled to attend the London premiere and bring “some 30s gangster glamour to the West End,” according to the press release; however, Christian Bale, who plays FBI Agent Melvin Purvis, is not expected to attend.

The Zone thanks Jillian and Emma for breaking the good news; you can read more about the London premiere of Public Enemies on the Zone’s News & Views forum. –Part-Time Poet

The photo at left shows Johnny Depp leaving the set of The Rum Diary in old San Juan on Tuesday, June 9th–which happened to be his 46th birthday. Primera Hora reports that well-wishers who gathered near the site of filming “surprised” the actor with banners bearing birthday greetings and congratulations. To see a larger version of the photo, CLICK HERE, and to see a different photo of Johnny’s departure, CLICK HERE. Yes, that is security chief extraordinaire Jerry Judge leaning out of the front window of the SUV in the second picture.

The Zone thanks Emma for sharing the story from Primera Hora, and Emma and Theresa for sharing pictures. Filming of The Rum Diary is now expected to wrap on Thursday, June 11 at Roosevelt Roads. You can read more about The Rum Diary on the Zone’s News & Views forum. –Part-Time Poet

Today is Johnny Depp’s birthday, and we would like to send our heartfelt best wishes to Johnny. We hope he enjoys a wonderful birthday celebration with family and friends, and that the year to come brings him great joy and creative fulfillment. Above all, we would like to thank him for letting us take this journey with him, and for being a constant source of inspiration, entertainment, and delight, both onscreen and off.

May the happiness Johnny Depp has given to all of us be returned to him in abundance. Mytreasure’s birthday card speaks for Zoners all over the world: Happy Birthday, Johnny!–Part-Time Poet

The 2009 Licensing Show in Las Vegas brings the following update from Disney regarding scheduling of two highly-anticipated films starring Johnny Depp. Pirates of the Caribbean 4, a new adventure with Captain Jack Sparrow, was originally planned to be the Summer 2011 tentpole release for Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films. That date has proved to be too ambitious; now Pirates 4 is “tentatively slated for release in the Summer of 2012,” reports Jim Hill Media, which closely monitors Disney news. So we’ll have to wait an additional year to see Captain Jack on the big screen again.

As for the other Disney/Bruckheimer/Depp collaboration, The Lone Ranger, we can expect to see the western as a Summer 2011 tentpole, with Mike Newell directing. Newell helmed Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and the upcoming Bruckheimer production Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, as well as the Johnny Depp-Al Pacino gangster classic Donnie Brasco. The Lone Ranger has yet to be cast, but Johnny Depp will be playing Tonto. That’s a natural fit: JD is part Cherokee, and as he told Douglas Brinkley in the new Vanity Fair interview, “You know I’m always for the Indian in the cowboy movie. Always.”

In The Lone Ranger saga, the Texas Ranger and Tonto are friends, not enemies–a rather radical, optimistic vision of universal brotherhood for a western which began on radio in the 1930s, when positive portrayals of Native Americans were few and far between. Johnny’s vision of Tonto is even more radical: “Tonto needs to be in charge,” he told Douglas Brinkley. “The Lone Ranger should be a fool, a lovable one, but a fool nonetheless.” Brinkley qualifies the remark by saying it was made “half in jest,” but even so, it suggests a new and intriguing approach to Tonto . . . .

The Zone thanks FANtastic JD for the Disney update; you can read more on the Zone’s News & Views forum. –Part-Time Poet

In a recent interview with Lisa Harvey of Gulf News, Oscar-winning actress Marion Cotillard talks about her life as an actress since La Vie en Rose and her experiences filming Michael Mann’s Public Enemies, in which she plays Billie Frechette, the woman who captures John Dillinger’s heart.

Q: What was it about Public Enemies that made you think–I have to do it?

MARION: I didn’t know anything about the Dillinger case [. . . ]. I read the script and I started to do some research about American history–this tough period of the Depression and the creation of the FBI and I thought it was so interesting.

I think that what I love in this story, in the movie, is that you can feel in each character the failure and the violence, the pain of this period. You can see it in Dillinger, you can see it in Melvin Purvis, you can see it in Billie Frechette. You can see it in all the characters and I think it’s beautiful to make you feel what was this period was like.

Q: How was it to star alongside Johnny Depp?

MARION: I was very, very nervous [. . .] because it was my first movie after La Vie en Rose, [. . . and] more because I hadn’t worked for two years [. . .] being on a set with someone else, giving life to someone [. . .]. I was very nervous about the accent because I had to nail a mid western American accent which I think was impossible [. . .] . But he was so nice to me. He saw right away that I was very nervous and he reassured me, he was very nice, he has a huge respect of people and things. He is a real gentleman. He is an amazing actor, so I knew that when you work with an amazing actor, it makes you be better than if you work with someone who is totally out of it.

The Zone thanks Emma for posting the interview with Marion Cotillard; you can read more of Marion’s observations on the Zone’s Porch forum. –Part-Time Poet

Bruce Robinson’s film of Hunter S. Thompson’s The Rum Diary will complete its principal photography on Tuesday, according to El Nuevo Dia. The newspaper reports that after a full week of filming in Old San Juan, the cast and crew took Saturday off, but reported for work on Sunday at Roosevelt Roads. There they finished shooting the scenes that could not be completed two weeks ago, due to heavy rain. The cast and crew is scheduled to return to Old San Juan for a final day of filming on Tuesday–a “last chance” for local residents (and, no doubt, the paparazzi) to try to catch a glimpse of Johnny Depp.

The photo of Johnny was taken at the completion of filming in Old San Juan on Friday, June 5th. To see a larger version (and security chief Jerry Judge standing next to Johnny), CLICK HERE.

The Zone thanks Emma for the article from El Nuevo Dia, and for all of her exemplary reporting throughout the filming of The Rum Diary. –Part-Time Poet

As the Johnny Depp Zone’s 2009 Birthday Project enters its final weekend, we’re thrilled to report that this year’s donations, in support of the San Jorge Children’s Foundation in San Juan, Puerto Rico, have topped $5,000! That’s fantastic! We would like to thank everyone who has donated to the Birthday Project this year; your generosity and kindness is heartwarming.

The San Jorge Children’s Foundation is a non-profit organization that assists families by covering surgical expenses and the costs of hospital care and medicine for seriously ill children. Their goal is to provide access to the most advanced medical treatment to families who otherwise could not afford it. You can read more about the San Jorge Children’s Foundation on our 2009 Birthday Project forum.

Giving to the Birthday Project is easy: the Zone has a dedicated Paypal account for contributions to the 2009 Birthday Project. If you would like to join in our gift, you can make a donation by visiting our Birthday Project Forum HERE and scrolling down to the Paypal button. If you would like to donate by check, the Foundation’s address is directly below the Paypal button in the announcement post.

You still have time to join us in saying “Happy Birthday” and “Thank You” to Johnny Depp–and we think there’s no better way to do that than by helping a child in need, in Johnny’s name. We will be accepting donations to the Birthday Project through Johnny’s birthday on Tuesday, June 9th, and we’d love to have you be a part of the celebration.–Part-Time Poet

It’s not a remake of Singin’ in the Rain, but images from The Rum Diary set on June 4th do summon memories of Gene Kelly, as they show a drenched Johnny Depp standing on a cobblestone street and holding a large black umbrella. Ironically, since the production is a bit behind schedule due to heavy rains in Puerto Rico last week, it was not raining in Old San Juan when these pictures were taken. El Vocero reports that the production installed six artificial rain machines constructed of industrial pipe on the roofs of buildings overlooking O’Donnell Street to create the needed effect. Movie magic!

To see a larger version of the photo above, CLICK HERE, and to see a lovely profile shot of Johnny on the rain-slicked street, CLICK HERE. You can find more great photos at The Insider HERE; the Zone thanks Theresa for the link. –Part-Time Poet

“Dillinger was the greatest bank robber in American history,” Michael Mann declared in interview recently shown on MTV. According to the director of the soon-to-be-released Public Enemies, Dillinger “outran, outfought, and outsmarted law enforcement,” and in so doing, he “won the heart of the nation [. . .] and became this kind of outlaw-hero.” Johnny Depp would agree with that assessment. “John Dillinger spoke to the people, and owned them while he was speaking to them.”

Michael Mann acknowledged Dillinger’s strong connection with the public. “Dillinger had this love for life. He was smart, charming, and charismatic,” Mann explained. In his view, Dillinger emerged from prison with an overwhelming desire to live life to the fullest, and a need to experience what had been denied to him while he was incarcerated. “I think Dillinger had found himself, and was at peace with the fact that it probably wasn’t going to be a very long ride,” Johnny said. “But it was going to be a significant ride.”

To see a larger version of the new photo of the outlaw-hero John Dillinger, CLICK HERE. The Zone thanks AnaMaria and Contacto Digital on Flickr for the photo. You can hear the promotional interview for Public Enemies on You Tube HERE. You will get to hear a few comments from Christian Bale, too. Thanks to Theresa and laudepp126x for sharing the video clip. –Part-Time Poet

That’s Johnny Depp smiling as he extends his hand through an open limousine window to greet fans in Old San Juan on Wednesday, June 3rd. Johnny had just completed filming a scene with Amber Heard, who plays Chenault, The Rum Diary’s gorgeous but romantically conflicted leading lady–and yes, Johnny is wearing a bathrobe in this picture. For a look at a larger version, CLICK HERE, and to see a different photo of Johnny greeting the crowd, CLICK HERE. According to El Vocero, the love scene between Paul Kemp and Chenault was filmed in “a private residence” on O’Donnell Street in Old San Juan. The Zone thanks Emma for news stories about The Rum Diary; you can read more on the Zone’s News & Views forum. –Part-Time Poet

Director Tom DiCillo’s documentary about The Doors, WHEN YOU’RE STRANGE, generated great buzz at the Sundance Film Festival. Now the 90-minute film will screen at the Los Angeles Film Festival, with narration by Johnny Depp in place. As the director noted on his blog a week ago, “May 27.09. Still workin’ away. Little trims and adjustments to go with Johnny’s different timings and inflections. We’ve been accepted to the LA Film Festival which is coming up fast–mid-June. Looks like we’re going.”

WHEN YOU’RE STRANGE has two screenings at the Los Angeles Film Festival: on Sunday evening, June 21st, at 10 p.m. at the Mann Festival Theater, and on Wednesday, June 24th, at 2 p.m. at The Regent. $12 tickets are currently available for both screenings; if you will be in the Los Angeles area on either day, we urge you to go and support the film. For information on tickets, CLICK HERE.

Here’s what Tom DiCillo blogged about Johnny’s narration: “Johnny Depp has recorded his narration. It sounds fantastic. He brings something very personal to the film.” The Zone thanks Emma, Joni and FANtasticJD for news about The Doors documentary; you can read more on the News & Views forum. –Part-Time Poet

The photo at left shows Johnny Depp, in costume as Paul Kemp in The Rum Diary, walking up a steep street in Old San Juan on June 2nd. JD is accompanied by his bodyguard, Jerry Judge (in the yellow shirt). To see a larger version of the photo, CLICK HERE. A different photo taken on Tuesday shows Johnny in a more playful, relaxed mood, as he reaches out to shake hands with a well-wisher on the street. To see that photo, CLICK HERE. The Zone thanks Theresa for sharing the pictures; it’s always great to see Johnny at work! –Part-Time Poet