Johnny Depp’s First Post-Trial Film to Stream on Netflix in France

Johnny Depp in Disney's 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.'

For the past few months, most of what has been written about Johnny Depp has been about the lurid celebrity defamation trial between the actor and ex-wife Amber Heard.

The trial dominated headlines, and Depp’s cinematic career only got a mention as it related to the trial’s coverage of his career and the various scandals’ impact upon it. Depp brought a lawsuit against Heard for statements she made in a Washington Post op-ed alluding to claims of domestic abuse.

Heard has now been ordered to pay $10.35 million in damages to Depp. “From the very beginning, the goal of bringing this case was to reveal the truth, regardless of the outcome,” Depp said in a statement following the verdict. “Speaking the truth was something that I owed to my children and to all those who have remained steadfast in their support of me. I feel at peace knowing I have finally accomplished that.”

With the trial over in Depp’s favor – and despite an appeal from Heard to throw out the result, which has now been thrown out by a Virginia judge – he is back to concentrating on his next movie.

That film is ‘La Favorite’, a period drama from French director Maiwenn (‘Mon Roi’), which will find the actor as King Louis XV. In addition to calling the shots, Maiwenn will also star as Jeanne du Barry, a countess who became Louis’ final mistress.

It’s planning to shoot for a few months this summer in locations including the Versailles Palace.

(L to R) Amber Heard and Johnny Depp in 2011's 'The Rum Diary.'

Though there had been talk that Netflix was providing financial backing for the movie, Variety has learned that that’s not the case, but the streaming service has picked up rights to stream it in France once the 15-month theatrical window has closed.

‘La Favorite’s cast also includes Pierre Richard and Noémie Lvovsky, with Pascal Caucheteux and Grégoire Sorlat as the movie’s producers.

Before that, though, if you are looking for Depp’s current movie, ‘Minamata’ is available to watch on Hulu.

Adapted from Aileen Mioko Smith and W. Eugene Smith’s novel, it follows Depp as the latter Smith, a reclusive American photojournalist who headed to Japan in the 1970s to investigate the emergence of a strange disease.

He ends up clashing with the corporate forces responsible for the disease and works to make the information about the health crisis known to the world. Thanks to that effort, he became an icon within the world of photojournalism.

The movie was originally scheduled to arrive in theaters in February 2021, before it was delayed as cinema closures continued to impact the States. It eventually arrived this past February to little attention (despite positive reviews) and is now on streaming.

We’re still waiting to hear when American audiences will be able to watch ‘La Favorite’.

Johnny Depp in 2000's 'Chocolat.'