“He got up when he was on the brink”: after the legal and media storm, will Johnny Depp regain his crown in Hollywood?

Punctuality is the politeness of kings. Perhaps still haunted by his character of Louis XV, Johnny Depp respects the adage: his chair is empty. As usual, this day in May 2023, the star arrives late as a head of state to the press conference of the Cannes Film Festival, late joining the troupe of Jeanne du Barry, by Maïwenn. If the flirtatious smile remains in order, the temptation is strong to compare the American to the monarch he embodies. Too painted, annoyed by intrigues and tired of having reigned. Tattoos replace flies, messy hair replaces wigs. We believe we can guess the scars of years of storm born from accusations of domestic violence made by his ex-wife, the actress Amber Heard.

This return to a French film, screened at the opening of Cannes, denoted an intact desire for cinema and outlined the possibility of a return. Three years later, the release from purgatory is imminent. Johnny Depp returns to theaters this Wednesday with Scrooge, his first Hollywood film since 2018. The 63-year-old star slips into the costume…