Johnny Depp is the star “From Hell.” Johnny Depp All right, he’s the star in “From Hell.” At least that’s where talks concerning the comic-inspired flick are heading, according to today’s Daily Variety.
The trade paper says Depp is considering the so-called Jack the Ripper tale for the writing-directing Hughes Brothers (“Dead Presidents”) team. The film’s inspired by the graphic novel of the same name.
As for Depp being a real star from hell? We don’t know about that. We just know that at the box office the guy is something of the snakebit star from hell.
“The Astronaut’s Wife,” anybody?
PITT STOPS: Brad Pitt has had his share of bombs, too. (“Meet Joe Black”? Anyone? Anyone?) But that’s not stopping him, either. The guy’s being pursued for two — count ’em two — high-profile projects, Variety says. The first is “Beach Music,” a peppy little number about suicide, the Holocaust and a child-custody battle based on a novel by Pat Conroy (“The Prince of Tides”). The second is “The Bourne Identity,” a Robert Ludlum spy tale to converted into convenient film form by Doug Liman (“Swingers”).
NEW RECRUIT: Now, if Disney’s World War II epic “Pearl Harbor” bombs, it’ll put to shame all those Johnny Depp/Brad Pitt misfires. (“Seven Years in Tibet”? Nobody?) But we’re not saying “Pearl Harbor” is going to bomb. We’re just saying if on account of it’s got the biggest planned budget (about $135-145 mil or so) in Hollywood history and, you know, if it doesn’t hit, it’s gonna make a mess. Anyway, at least the thing’s got stars now. First, there was Cuba Gooding Jr. Then there was Ben Affleck. And today comes word that Josh Hartnett (“Halloween: H2O”) has also enlisted. Apparently in a bid to play it safe, neither Depp nor Pitt has yet been cast.
