Johnny Depp Shares ‘Appreciation’ as He Wraps Filming Independent Movie Modi as Director

Johnny Depp in Cannes, France, on May 17, 2023. PHOTO: BY ROCCO SPAZIANI/ARCHIVIO SPAZIANI/MONDADORI PORTFOLIO VIA GETTY IMAGES

That’s a wrap on Johnny Depp’s latest movie.

The actor, 60, shared on Instagram Thursday that he’d finished production on his second directorial effort Modi, an independent project from IN.2 Film about artist Amedeo Modigliani, produced by Al Pacino.

“To my dear ‘Modi’ film family, Köszönöm for all your exceptional efforts without which this film could not have been made,” Depp wrote alongside a snapshot from Budapest, Hungary, of himself applauding crew members.

“Please accept my eternal admiration, appreciation, respect and love, JD. X,” he added.

Johnny Depp; Al Pacino. VELYN HOCKSTEIN/POOL/AFP VIA GETTY; DAVID M. BENETT/DAVE BENETT/GETTY

Actor Ryan McParland, who stars as painter Chaïm Soutine in the film, shared a collection of photos from the set leading with one of him and Depp with their arms around one another’s shoulders.

“Huge love and respect to my dear brother @johnnydepp our captain, for his unique vision, his passion, his care, and his trust — I salute you,” McParland wrote.

Modi marks the second time Depp has been in the role of director for a feature film, having made his directorial debut with 1997’s The Brave, which he also starred in alongside Marlon Brando.

“The saga of Mr. Modigliani’s life is one that I’m incredibly honored, and truly humbled, to bring to the screen,” Depp said in a previous statement. “It was a life of great hardship, but eventual triumph — a universally human story all viewers can identify with.”

The film is based on a play by Dennis McIntyre and adapted for the screen by Jerzy and Mary Kromolowski. It follows 48 hours in the painter and sculptor’s life.

Modi also marks Depp’s second big-screen project after his defamation trial with ex-wife Amber Heard, which ended in June 2022.

In May, Depp appeared at at the Cannes Film Festival, where his French movie Jeanne Du Barry served as the festival opener. The following month, the film was acquired by Vertical for North American distribution.

A source told PEOPLE in June that the actor, who also toured with his supergroup the Hollywood Vampires this summer, has “moved on from last year and is happy” at this point in his life.

“In the last year, he’s been able to touch all these different parts of his life that he hadn’t been able to do that much before because he was so busy dealing with the matters tied to the Amber trial,” the source said. “It’s nice for him to be an artist first and foremost.”

Source: people.com