The cast of Johnny Depp Modi – Three Days on the Wings of Madness took to the red carpet in San Sebastian on Tuesday night to present the star's second feature film as director.
Depp, applauded by the audience shortly before the screening of the film, was joined by Riccardo Scamarcio and Antonia Desplat at the Kursaal Theatre on the northern coast of Spain for the world premiere of Wayswhich tells three days in the life of the Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani.
Starring Stephen Graham, Bruno Gouery, Luisa Ranieri, Ryan McParland and Al Pacino as art collector Maurice Gangnat, the film is set in Paris in the midst of World War II, as the painter and sculptor struggles to gain recognition. Scamarcio plays the title role, while Desplat plays Modigliani's companion of two years, Beatrice Hastings.
Journalists were thrilled with Depp's presence at the press conference held in the early afternoon, even though The Hollywood Reporter It is understood that 12 international journalists walked out of a scheduled meeting with Depp and the cast due to access problems with the director.
It was at the press conference that Depp compared his bumpy life to Modigliani's, referring to the legal frenzy and defamation trial that followed his public split from actress Amber Heard: “I'm sure we can say I've been through a number of things here and there. Maybe yours hasn't turned into a soap opera,” he said. “I mean, literally, televised.”
Depp also revealed that it was Pacino who urged the actor to direct the film: “When Pacino talks, you have to listen.” Elsewhere, the cast said DAY that “Hollywood needs Johnny Depp.” Scamarcio said of the star's return to showbiz after years of controversy: “He's the kindest, gentlest, sweetest man I've ever worked with in my life. The industry, I think, should be very careful.”
Ways will hit Italian theaters on December 5, though a U.S. release date has yet to be confirmed. It lines up with one of the most glitzy festivals ever in San Sebastian, with Cate Blanchett, Javier Bardem, Andrew Garfield, and Florence Pugh among the stars set to appear or make their debuts here.
DAYLeslie Felperin's contributing film critic writes in his review of Modi – Three Days on the Wings of Madness: “Scamarcio is charismatic enough to capture attention, but WaysThe trajectory from here — a few days’ countdown as it waits to show up at the famous collector Gangnat — doesn’t get us very far into understanding what makes it tick or even why we should care.”
The San Sebastian Film Festival will be held from September 20 to 28.