‘Modi’: First Set Images Sees Johnny Depp Directing Al Pacino!! Check It Out!!

With signature hats and wide glasses, Johnny Depp is back in the director’s chair for the first time in over 25 years. First-look images from behind the scenes of Modi show Depp working on his second directorial feature which the actor will co-produce alongside Al Pacino and Barry Navidi.

The images from the set show Depp directing Pacino who plays a supporting role as real-life French art collector Maurice Gangnat — a man whose portrait was painted by Pierre-Auguste Renoir in 1916. According to the film’s producers and the film’s synopsis, Modi follows “the life of Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani and a chaotic series of events through the streets and bars of war-torn Paris in 1916”, during which Modigliani is “on the run from the police, Modi’s desire to end his career and leave the city is dismissed by fellow Bohemians. The chaos reaches a crescendo when he’s faced with a collector who could change his life.” The title role of Modi will see Italian actor Riccardo Scamarcio take the reins while French actor Pierre Niney is to play fellow artist Maurice Utrillo.

Al Pacino Is Vital to Depp’s Involvement in ‘Modi’

FIRST LOOK! First behind-the-scenes images have been revealed of Johnny Depp directing biopic ‘Modi,’ which is wrapping production https://t.co/eX29pY9EfA pic.twitter.com/MTBNq07aFL

— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) January 18, 2024

This upcoming biopic will mark the first time in 25 years since Depp directed and acted alongside Marlon Brando in 1997’s The Brave. Speaking to Deadline about what inspired him to take the director’s chair, Depp has revealed that taking on the project has been special. “Embarking on this cinematic journey as the director of Modi has been an incredibly fulfilling and transformative experience. I would like to express my profound gratitude to the entire cast, crew, and producers for their unwavering commitment and creativity,” the Pirates of the Caribbean star said. He goes on to say that Pacino’s involvement was a key reason for coming aboard, “To Al, who requested that I make this film — how could I refuse Pacino? A sincere acknowledgment for generously contributing his talent and dedication to this project. Modi is a testament to the collaborative spirit of independent filmmaking, and I am excited to present this unique and compelling story to the world.”

Modi follows 48 hours in the painter and sculptor’s life, and the film is based on a play by Dennis McIntyre and adapted for the screen by Jerzy and Mary Kromolowski. “It was a life of great hardship, but eventual triumph — a universally human story all viewers can identify with,” Depp said in a previous statement regarding the film. The call sheet working under the watchful eye of Depp includes Antonia Desplat, Stephen Graham, Bruno Gouery, Ryan McParland, Luisa Ranieri, and Sally Phillips. Modi marks yet another collaboration between Depp and Navidi who have worked together previously on projects like 2004’s The Merchant of Venice, 2011’s Wilde Salomé, and 2013’s Salomé.