Johnny Depp’s first look as King Louis XV in Jeanne du Barry
The actor will play the controversial King of France in his first feature film since his defamation trial against Amber Heard.
In the upcoming historical film Jeanne du Barry, Johnny Depp exchanges a courtroom for a palace.
Why Not Productions in France released a first-look image of Depp as King Louis XV, the previous King of France whose poor governance resulted in the decline of royal power and the French Revolution in 1789.
The film will depict the story of Jeanne du Barry, King Louis XV’s last royal mistress, who was born the illegitimate daughter of an impoverished seamstress and rose up the social order to become the king’s lover.
Rust And Bone and A Prophet production company Why Not has confirmed that the shoot began on July 26 for 11 weeks, with locations including Versailles and other chateaux in the Paris region and the studio.
Depp’s first feature film role since his defamation lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard, which was completed in June after six weeks of media chaos, is in the historical romance. The jury determined that Heard defamed Depp in her Washington Post op-ed in 2018, in which she labeled herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.”
Heard has subsequently filed an appeal, arguing that court mistakes “prevented a just and equitable verdict compatible with the First Amendment.”
According to Deadline, production on Jeanne du Barry began in France approximately a month after the trial ended. Paris and the Île-de-France region, particularly Versailles, were used as filming sites.
Mawenn, a French director, will both direct and feature in the film as the title mistress. Benjamin Lavernhe, Pierre Richard, Melvil Poupaud, Noémie Lvovsky, Pascal Greggory, and India Hair will also appear in the film. Following its theatrical debut, which has yet to be determined, Jeanne du Barry will be accessible to view on Netflix France.