JohnnyDepp-Zone.com

Johnny Depp wore a blue shirt to match his signature blue sunglasses as he arrived on a very sunny red carpet outside Mann’s Village Theater in Los Angeles for the studio premiere of Michael Mann’s gangster epic Public Enemies, in which JD plays another JD: John Dillinger. Johnny was also wearing a well-tailored 3-piece suit. To see a larger picture of Johnny being interviewed by a reporter, CLICK HERE, and to see a different photo of Johnny on the red carpet accompanied by dapper security chief Jerry Judge, CLICK HERE. The Zone grapevine reports that Johnny signed autographs for half the crowd before he was hustled inside the theater, but he has promised to return to sign some more. Sweet!

Thanks to FANtasticJD and the Los Angeles Film Festival for the photos of Johnny, and to all the Zoners who have posted updates from the red carpet, especially ~SB. You can read much more about the Los Angeles premiere on the Zone’s News & Views forum. –Part-Time Poet

Thanks to Trista for sending us this picture of the marquee at Mann’s Village Theater as it is being transformed for the premiere of Michael Mann’s Public Enemies tonight. The Village Theater is located at 961 Broxton Avenue, in Westwood Village; the cross street on the street sign is Weyburn, and the Los Angeles Film Festival has posted the following announcement on their Facebook page: “Come scream for Johnny Depp and fill the bleachers for the premiere on 6/23. Fans can line up to catch a glimpse of Depp from 4:30 PM on Le Conte Ave in Westwood!” Public Enemies is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. tonight–expect star arrivals an hour or so before the screening starts. Best of luck to all the Zoners headed to Westwood! We are there with you in spirit. –Part-Time Poet

At the Public Enemies press junket held at Chicago’s Union Station, Australian reporter Peter Stefanovic used some of his five minutes with Johnny Depp to inquire about JD’s connection with the late Heath Ledger, a native Australian. Stefanovic’s interview aired on the Down Under version of the Today show on July 22nd. The reporter asked why Johnny Depp agreed to step into Heath Ledger’s role in Terry Gilliam’s The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, which was left unfinished at the time of Ledger’s death; JD, along with Jude Law and Colin Farrell, completed Ledger’s role.

JOHNNY DEPP: It would have been a horror to think that Heath’s last work, which was great, would go unseen. And so, what I told Terry Gilliam was, “If there’s a way to do this respectfully, and you can finish your film, I’m more than happy to help.”

I wanted to, certainly, first get the blessing of Heath’s family, to make sure they were okay with it–and they were great with it, and so I feel honored to have been able to be a small part of that. For Heath.

PETER STEFANOVIC: And you named a part of the island you own after him? [Douglas Brinkley’s recent Vanity Fair article mentions that Johnny named a favorite cove on his island “Heath’s Place.”] Can you tell me about the connection you feel towards him? Because it’s obviously very strong.

JOHNNY DEPP: We knew each other, and we’d hung out a bit, and there was a mutual respect there. And he was “the guy,” as far as I was concerned, in terms of the actors coming up the ranks; he was the one to keep your eye on. He was the dangerous one, you know, and I liked him for that.

PETER STEFANOVIC: And finally . . . Pirates 4. Yea or nay?

JOHNNY DEPP: Yea. Yea . . . if they get a good script, yea.

The Zone thanks FANtasticJD and Theresa for the Stefanovic interview, and AnaMaria for the screencap from the video clip. To watch the interview, which is highly recommended, CLICK HERE. –Part-Time Poet