TIFF exclusive: Johnny Depp to star in thriller 'Labyrinth'
6 September, 2016
By Jeremy Kay
ScreenDaily
EXCLUSIVE: In a mouth-watering and rare major pre-sales title headed for Toronto, Good Universe is preparing to introduce the thriller to buyers this week.
Depp will star in the feature from Good Films as Russell Poole, the late LA detective who the towards the end of the 1990s investigated the unsolved assassinations of hip-hop icons Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls.
Poole encountered endless dead ends, yet his dogged legwork uncovered corruption in the LAPD that rocked the institution to its core.
UTA and WME Global jointly represent US rights to Labyrinth, the latest project from Good Films, the company behind Bryan Cranston crime drama The Infiltrator and Viggo Mortensen wartime drama Good.
Producer Miriam Segal of Good Films flew into Toronto on Tuesday evening and is preparing to rustle up enthusiasm ahead of an anticipated production start later this year – not that it should take much effort to get buyers excited about the project.
Depp is riding high on some of the best notices of his career for Black Mass, in which his chilling turn as mobster James ‘Whitey’ Bulger garnered a lead actor Screen Actors Guild nomination last season.
Brad Furman, who directed The Infiltrator after rising to prominence with The Lincoln Lawyer, will direct Labyrinth from Christian Contreras’ screenplay, based on Randall Sullivan’s book of the same name.
Industry veteran Camela Galano is a partner in Good Films and oversees distribution and financing activities for the company’s entire slate, including Labyrinth.
Good Films’ slate includes upcoming thriller The Postcard Killings starring Dakota Fanning, which Good Universe introduced to international buyers in Cannes.
Sweeney Todd wrote:Very exciting news. I'm wondering if The Libertine is still happening though?
I could be wrong, but it sort of seems like The Libertine, "Fortunately The Milk", and Triple Frontier are going to join the ranks of Night Stalker, The Thin Man, Good Omens, etc. as Depp movies that might have been. It's strange how we sometimes get news of possible movies which we usually don't hear about again, and other times where the first time we hear about a movie it's already been guaranteed to happen, barring some calamity.
"There is certainly a part of me that tends to be that loner. You never find me in the center of the crowd. I just like to stay back a little and hang in the shadows."
Johnny Depp Circles Film About Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Murders
Film Reporter
Justin Kroll
Film Reporter
@krolljvar
SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 | 10:58AM PT
Johnny Depp is in talks to star in the crime thriller “Labyrinth” with “Lincoln Lawyer” director Brad Furman on board to helm.
Depp will play Russell Poole in the film, the Los Angeles police detective who investigated the murders of rappers Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur, sources have confirmed.
Good Films will produce. UTA and WME Global are co-repping U.S. rights, while Good Universe is representing international sales.
Christian Contreras wrote the screenplay, which is based on the book “Labyrinth: A Detective Investigates the Murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G., the Implication of Death Row Records’ Suge Knight, and the Origins of the Los Angeles Police Scandal.”
Poole was a decorated detective who spent months investigating the murder of B.I.G., who’s real name is Christopher Wallace, eventually coming to believe that a group of corrupt cops with ties to Suge Knight’s Death Row Records had a part in both murders. This led to confrontations with the LAPD police chief that culminated with Poole retiring early in protest.
Depp was most recently starred in “Alice Through the Looking Glass” and can be seen next in “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.” He is repped by UTA.
Johnny Depp Circling ‘LAbyrinth’ To Play LAPD Detective Russell Poole
by Anita Busch
September 7, 2016 10:27am
Johnny Depp is circling Labyrinth, a project where he would play the play the controversial LAPD homicide detective Russell Poole who investigated the deaths of both Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur. However, sources said that he is looking at a number of projects rights now. This one, via Good Universe with Brad Furman attached to direct, would go in November and there is a script adaptation by Christian Contreras, but no deal in place with Depp as of yet. LAbyrinth: A Detective Investigates the Murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G., the Implication of Death Row Records’ Suge Knight, and the Origins of the Los Angeles Police Scandal was written by Randall Smith who recounts Russell Poole’s investigation and the discovery of the relationships between members of the LAPD and Death Row Records. Many people have discounted Poole’s allegations. The retired cop died last year. Depp is also attached to The Invisible Man at Universal. The Pirates of the Caribbean star also has another installment of the wildly popular films on the horizon — Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales which Disney will release Memorial Day next year as one of its tentpoles.
So I guess this is still at the possibility stage; the TIFF article made it sound like a done deal. If he does it, with a November start, he'd probably have to do Invisible Man directly afterwards, in order for IM to be ready by April 2018.
I wouldn't mind seeing Johnny in this role, although my knowledge of the case is almost nil. I didn't know who Russell Poole was, and I've never been enough into the hip hop scene to know or really be interested in what exactly happened.
"There is certainly a part of me that tends to be that loner. You never find me in the center of the crowd. I just like to stay back a little and hang in the shadows."
Open Road Picks Up Johnny Depp Dramatic Thriller ‘Labyrinth’
by Anthony D'Alessandro
September 19, 2016 3:35pm
Deadline.com
Open Road Films has acquired domestic rights and some key foreign territories to Brad Furman’s Labyrinth starring Johnny Depp. Production begins in mid-November. Labyrinth was a Black List script, written by Christian Contreras and adapted by Randall Sullivan’s book of the same name. This is a large deal, with a $20 million minimum guarantee overall, and a $25 million P&A guarantee.
Miramax is a co-financier on the Labyrinth and Good Universe is handling foreign sales for remaining territories.
In Labyrinth, Depp plays Russell Poole, a disgraced L.A.P.D. detective who is unable to solve his biggest case: The murders of rap impresarios Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. After 20 years, the case remains open. “Jack” Jackson, a reporter desperate to save his reputation and career, is determined to crack the case and teams up with Poole. As Poole relives the unbelievable story of power, corruption and crime, Jackson begins to unravel a growing web of scandal and deception. Relentless in their hunt for the truth, these two broken men threaten to crack the foundation of the L.A.P.D. all the while fighting for their own redemption.
Miriam Segal and her Good Films label are producing. The deal was negotiated on behalf of Open Road Films by Tom Ortenberg, CEO, and Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel, Elliott Kleinberg; and by UTA Independent Film Group and WME Global on behalf of the filmmakers along with Good Universe. Depp is repped by UTA, and Furman and Contreras are represented by WME. Miramax’s EVP of Film & TV, Zanne Devine, and Rosanne Korenberg, SVP of Acquisitions and Co-Productions, negotiated on behalf of their company.
Depp’s last dramatic turn as Whitey Bulger in Black Mass amassed close to $100M at the global B.O. for Warner Bros. Furman recently had the Broad Green crime thriller The Infiltrator in release over the summer.
Johnny Depp's Tupac-Biggie thriller Labyrinth acquired by Open Road Brad Furman will direct the film
by Oliver Gettell
September 19 2016 — 7:55 PM EDT
EW.com
Open Road Films is on the case. The distributor has acquired all North American rights to Labyrinth, an investigative thriller about the murders of Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. that will star Johnny Depp.
Directed by Brad Furman (The Lincoln Laywer) and set to begin production in November, Labyrinth centers on Russell Poole (Depp), a disgraced LAPD detective who has been unable to solve the slayings of the rival hip-hop artists for two decades. He eventually teams up with a reporter desperate to save his own reputation to finally uncover the truth behind Tupac and Biggie’s deaths.
Christian Contreras wrote the script, adapting Randall Sullivan’s dense nonfiction book LAbyrinth: A Detective Investigates the Murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G., the Implication of Death Row Records’ Suge Knight, and the Origins of the Los Angeles Police Scandal.
In an announcement Monday, Open Road CEO Tom Ortenberg called the project “an edgy and timely investigative thriller.”
Miriam Segal, who collaborated with Furman on The Infiltrator, is producing Labyrinth. Open Road has also acquired rights in several international territories where it has output agreements.
Hollywood and the general public’s fascination with Tupac and Biggie endures. The former artist is the subject of the upcoming biopic All Eyez on Me, and the latter has inspired a scripted series in development at TBS.
Open Road Acquires Johnny Depp Crime Thriller ‘Labyrinth’
Justin Kroll
September 19, 2016
Variety
Open Road Pictures has acquired the crime thriller “Labyrinth” starring Johnny Depp as a detective who investigates the Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. murders.
Brad Furman is directing with production set to start in mid-November.
Miramax is partnering and co-financing with Open Road Films for U.S. distribution. Good Universe is handling international sales for remaining territories.
“Labyrinth” is an edgy and timely investigative thriller that will make a great addition to our slate,” said Open Road CEO Tom Ortenberg in a statement. “Johnny Depp is perfect for the project and we are thrilled to be in business with him, Miriam Segal, Brad Furman and the rest of the filmmaking team.”
In the pic, disgraced LAPD detective Russell Poole (Depp), is a beaten man, unable to solve his biggest case – the murders of music icons Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. After two decades, the case remains open. “Jack” Jackson, a reporter desperate to save his reputation and career, is determined to find out why. He tracks down Poole, and the two enter into an uneasy partnership to finally put this case to rest. As Poole relives the unbelievable story of power, corruption and crime, Jackson begins to unravel a growing web of scandal and deception. Relentless in their hunt for the truth, these two broken men threaten to crack the foundation of the LAPD all the while fighting for their own redemption.
Miriam Segal and her Good Films are producing. Christian Contreras is writing the screenplay adapted from Randall Sullivan’s book “LAbyrinth: A Detective Investigates the Murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G., the Implication of Death Row Records’ Suge Knight, and the Origins of the Los Angeles Police Scandal.”
The deal was negotiated on behalf of Open Road Films by Tom Ortenberg, CEO, and Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel, Elliott Kleinberg; and by UTA Independent Film Group and WME Global on behalf of the filmmakers along with Good Universe.
Thanks emma, this one seems just perfect for Johnny.
emma!
My dream came true 29/06/09, 25/02/10, 12/05/11, 03/11/11 and 09/05/12. 
I was looking for some nuts. 
Thanks for the articles Theresa.