UPDATE: Well, that was fast. Skulduggery scribe Derek Landy has put these “rumors” to rest. Peep it:
Sorry for the title of this post, I just wanted to make sure that none of you start believing a story that’s been reported in the papers saying that Johnny Depp is going to play Skulduggery. This is, to say the least, not true. The movie rights are back with me for the moment- meaning they aren’t attached to any studio. Basically, I’m far too busy with Book 6 to even consider a Skulduggery movie right now. But who knows when I’ll have news for you?
(And just to make sure, that was NOT a sly way of hinting at upcoming news, because there IS no news! None!)”
Although Johnny Depp has always embraced playing eccentric characters, the dude is clearly favoring more mainstream fantasy fare than ever before. I know he has THE RUM DIARY in the can (been waiting for that one for years), but seriously…the PIRATES movies, RANGO upcoming, the f*ckin’ Mad Hattter, Wonka, DARK SHADOWS and now possibly SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT? This guy clearly knows something the rest of us don’t…that flicks are for kids!
Anyway, now that I’ve raised personal concern for one of my all time favorite actors, let’s get into a possible new project he’s attached to. According to Contact Music and The Sun, Depp may be in line to portray SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT, a big screen adaptation of Derek Landy’s popular fantasy novel series. Word is Depp will most likely voice a CG character that is set in a live-action environment.
For those as clueless as I, SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT is a skeletal detective and powerful magician. Here’s a quick Wiki breakdown for the first novel in the series:
The story follows the titular character Skulduggery Pleasant, an undead wizard and detective, with his partner Stephanie Edgley (Valkyrie Cain), and numerous magic-wielding allies as they try to prevent Nefarian Serpine from unleashing a weapon of terrible power on the world. The book was retitled Sceptre Of The Ancients for the 2009 paperback release in the US and Canada.
Sounds decent for a animated genre flick, I suppose. Again, I would have loved to see Depp do that drug movie with Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal instead of opting for a tired ass vampire movie in DARK SHADOWS…or even this. Ah hell, what are you gonna do?!?
What says you? Depp perfect for this Skulduggery cat or would you also like to see the man get back to some gritty, non-CG acting?
Depp’s TOURIST co-star, Angie Jolie!