Johnny Depp’s Latest Directorial Effort Modi Secures U.S. Release Date

Johnny Depp’s return to the director’s chair is finally making its way to American audiences. On Monday, October 6, Depp’s production company In.2 Film announced via Instagram that Modi: Three Days on the Wings of Madness will premiere in select theaters across North America on November 7. The film, which was recently acquired for distribution by Vertical, marks Depp’s first feature-length directing project in nearly three decades. Deadline was the first to report the release news.

Depp’s Long-Awaited Directorial Comeback

Modi is Depp’s second feature as a director, following his 1997 debut with The Brave. The new film adapts Dennis McIntyre’s play about Italian painter Amedeo Modigliani, a groundbreaking modernist artist who lived a turbulent life and died in Paris at just 35 in 1920. The movie stars Riccardo Scamarcio as the iconic painter and Al Pacino as influential art collector Maurice Gangnat.

Set in Paris during 1916, the story follows Modigliani as he navigates a war-torn city full of bohemian artists and creative chaos. According to the film’s official synopsis, Modi traces “a chaotic series of events through the streets and bars of war-ravaged Paris during World War I. On the run from the police, Modi’s wish to end his career and flee the city is challenged by fellow Bohemians, until he meets a collector who could change his fate.”

A Passion Project for Depp

Depp has described the making of Modi as deeply meaningful. “Embarking on this cinematic journey as the director of Modi has been an incredibly fulfilling and transformative experience,” he said earlier this year. He expressed gratitude to the film’s cast and crew for their dedication and creativity.

Production wrapped in Budapest in November 2023, where Depp thanked his team in an Instagram message, writing, “To my dear ‘Modi’ film family, Köszönöm for all your exceptional efforts without which this film could not have been made.” He also credited Al Pacino for encouraging him to take on the directing role, noting, “How could I refuse Pacino? Modi is a testament to the collaborative spirit of independent filmmaking.”

Star-Studded Ensemble and Creative Team

Alongside Scamarcio and Pacino, the film features Antonia Desplat, Bruno Gouery, Ryan McParland, and Benjamin Lavernhe. The screenplay was penned by Jerzy Kromolowski, Mary Olson-Kromolowski, and Dennis McIntyre.

With its rich historical setting and a story centered on artistic struggle and resilience, Modi promises to offer audiences a vibrant, emotional journey through the life of one of modern art’s most fascinating figures.

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