Get ready for Pirates of the Caribbean weekend on Starz May 17 and 18! < <

For the first time ever, TV viewers will get a chance to see all three PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN movies back-to-back. The Starz channel will air the POTC trilogy throughout the weekend of May 17th--18th. Beginning at 6 a.m. (Eastern and Pacific) on Saturday, May 17, THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL and DEAD MAN'S CHEST will air back-to-back, leading up to the Starz Saturday Premiere of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END, which airs at 9 p.m. (Eastern and Pacific). Following the world television premiere of AT WORLD'S END, all three POTC films will continue to be shown back-to-back through the evening of Sunday, May 18th. It's a wonderful way to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Disneyland premiere of AT WORLD'S END, which took place on May 19, 2007. The Zone thanks Cindy for posting the news; you can read more on the News & Views forum. --Part-Time Poet / / May 08, 2008

No PUBLIC ENEMIES shooting in Columbus or Beaver Dam, Wisconsin until next week < <

The much-awaited return of Johnny Depp to Columbus, Wisconsin for the filming of Michael Mann's PUBLIC ENEMIES has been postponed for another week; scenes with Dillinger scheduled to be shot this week in Columbus and Beaver Dam, Wisconsin have been delayed until Monday, May 12th and Tuesday, May 13th. "We're not shooting in Columbus this week," location scout Adam Boor told the press; filming is now tentatively scheduled for a home in Columbus on Monday. On Tuesday morning, the cast and crew will head to Beaver Dam to film scenes at The Rogers, with a return to Columbus on Tuesday afternoon to shoot scenes on James Street. PUBLIC ENEMIES filmed at the capitol in Madison, Wisconsin on Monday; these were scenes focusing on the FBI, with a newly-shorn Billy Crudup playing J. Edgar Hoover and Christian Bale as agent Melvin Purvis. You can see a few pictures from that shoot on the Pit forum. The Zone thanks Emma for the update on the Columbus filming and Gilbert's Girl for the Madison pictures. --Part-Time Poet / / May 07, 2008

Johnny Depp receives MTV Movie Awards nominations for Best Villain and Best Comedic Performance; three nominations for POTC: AT WORLD'S END < <

Johnny Depp received an unusual double nomination for the 2008 MTV Movie Awards: he is nominated as Best Villian for SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET and as Best Comedic Performance for PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END. Other nominees in the Best Villain category include Denzel Washington in AMERICAN GANGSTER, Angelina Jolie in BEOWULF, Topher Grace in SPIDER-MAN 3, and Javier Bardem in NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. In Best Comedic Performance, other nominees include Adam Sandler in I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY, Jonah Hill in SUPERBAD, Seth Rogen in KNOCKED UP, and Amy Adams in ENCHANTED. Quite a diverse group! PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END received a nomination as Best Movie, and Keira Knightley was nominated for Best Female Performance for her role as Elizabeth Swann. Congratulations to all the nominees! Fans can vote for their favorite nominees by visiting the MTV site here; votes must be cast before May 23rd. The MTV Movie Awards will air live from the Gibson Amphitheater on Sunday, June 1, 2008, at 8 p.m. Eastern. The Zone thanks DeepinDepp for posting the news; you can read a full list of nominees on the News & Views forum. Our picture shows Johnny Depp receiving the Golden Popcorn at last year's MTV Movie Awards; to see a larger version, click here. --Part-Time Poet / /

A new project for Infinitum Nihil--filming the award-winning children's book THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET < <

Chris Wedge, the director of ICE AGE, has signed on to direct a film of Brian Selznick's award-winning children's novel THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET for Graham King's GK Films, Johnny Depp's Infinitum Nihil and Warner Bros. Wedge will work from a screenplay by John Logan (SWEENEY TODD, THE AVIATOR). Mr. King and Infinitum Nihil's president Christi Dembrowski will produce the live-action film, which centers on the mysterious adventures of an orphaned boy who secretly lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station and looks after the clocks. Here's the description of Selznick's book from Amazon: "Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery." According to Variety, "The studio is eyeing a fall start date" for THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET, which sounds great to us--the sooner, the better! Publishers Weekly calls the book "a true masterpiece [. . . ] a story as tantalizing as it is touching." THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET won the prestigious Caldecott Medal for its illustrations, as well as numerous other awards for children's literature. You can order it from Amazon here. The Zone thanks vermontfudge for breaking the news; you can read the Variety story in its entirety on the News & Views forum. --Part-Time Poet / / May 06, 2008

Announcing the Johnny Depp Zone's 2008 Birthday Project! < <

One of the Zone's favorite traditions is our annual birthday gift for Johnny Depp, called "The Birthday Project," in which we gather donations for a worthy cause in honor of Johnny and all the joy he has given us over the year. This spring has been an extraordinary one for all of us who love Johnny Depp. The filming of PUBLIC ENEMIES has brought JD out into the public day after day (and night after night), as he stopped to say hello and shake hands with thousands of well-wishers. Many Zoners attended those meet-and-greets in person, and have generously shared their photos and first-hand accounts with us; and everywhere that PUBLIC ENEMIES has traveled, local journalists, bloggers and photographers have shared every moment of the filming process with the world. For those of us living far away, it has been as if we were invited onto the set ourselves. What a joy! For this year's Birthday Project, the Zone wanted to give something back to the area which has been Johnny's home this spring, and which has given him--and all of the thousands of Depp-related visitor--such a warm welcome and so many cherished memories. So we have chosen a Wisconsin charity for our project this year: American Family Children's Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. This is is the pediatric unit of UW Health, the academic medical center and health system for the University of Wisconsin (PUBLIC ENEMIES director Michael Mann's alma mater). You can read more about American Family Children's Hospital on the Zone's 2008 Birthday Project forum or by clicking here. We will be making our donation to the Child Life fund at American Family Children's Hospital. The Child Life fund helps make the hospital stays of ill children and their parents and siblings more pleasant, bringing some unexpected comfort into a trying time. We feel this echoes what Johnny Depp gives us in his public appearances--that special moment of warmth and consideration that lifts our spirits and chases away the stress of daily life. The Zone has a dedicated Paypal account for contributions to the 2008 Birthday Project; if you would like to join in our gift, you can make a donation by visiting our Birthday Project forum here and scrolling down to the Paypal button. If you would like to donate by check, directions are on the forum in a separate thread. Let's reach out to help children, and say "Happy Birthday" and "Thank You" to Johnny Depp! --Part-Time Poet / / May 04, 2008

Johnny Depp featured in People's "100 Most Beautiful People" issue < <

Once again, Johnny Depp is featured in the pages of People Magazine; this time it's their "100 Most Beautiful People" double issue, cover date May 12, 2008. You'll find JD in the special "Hall of Fame" section, reserved for celebrities so gorgeous that they have been featured in the "most beautiful" issue five times or more; the photo is on page 112. To see the photo--it's from a SWEENEY TODD promotional shoot--click here; a larger scan is available on the Zone's News & Views forum, in the thread called "JD in People's 100 Most Beautiful issue." The caption on the photo reads: "Depp has learned a hard lesson about being attractive. As he admitted to ESQUIRE, 'It'll definitely make you a little weird if you're constantly being stared at.'" We apologize for staring, but with photographs like that one, how could we resist? --Part-Time Poet / / May 02, 2008

Marion Cotillard researches her PUBLIC ENEMIES role on Menominee Indian Reservation < <

Oscar-winning actress Marion Cotillard is taking her latest role--as John Dillinger's girlfriend Billie Frechette in PUBLIC ENEMIES--to heart; Cotillard recently visited the Menominee Indian Reservation, where Billie Frechette grew up, to gain insight into her character by discussing Billie's life with tribal elders. "She was born and raised here," explains David Grignon, director of the Menominee tribal historic preservation office. "A lot of elders still know stories of Billie and Dillinger. They still talk about it." After meeting in a Chicago dance hall in 1933, Billie Frechette and John Dillinger traveled together for six months, until Frechette's arrest in 1934. She spent two years in prison and later wrote about their life on the run. To see a larger version of our photo of Marion Cotillard greeting Johnny Depp on the PUBLIC ENEMIES set, click here. Rebecca Alegria, researcher/planner for the tribe's historic preservation office, told Green Bay Press-Gazette reporter Mike Hoecht that Cotillard "wanted to know more about her character, what the reservation looked like and what it was like to grow up there." Ron Corn Jr., who teaches the Menominee language at the tribal high school and whose maternal grandmother is a Frechette, told Hoecht that Cotillard asked about the French names: "She seemed genuinely interested in learning her character." PUBLIC ENEMIES' publicist David Fulton told Hoecht that Cotillard's visit was part of her research: "This is an example of giving actors as much information as possible to get inside their characters." To see a photo of Marion Cotillard during her visit to the Menominee Indian Reservation, click here, and to read Mike Hoecht's article in the Green Bay Press-Gazette, click here. The Zone thanks Emma for the Marion Cotillard story; you can read more about it on the Porch. --Part-Time Poet / / April 29, 2008

No PUBLIC ENEMIES filming in Columbus or Beaver Dam, Wisconsin on Monday. April 28th < <

Johnny Depp and his PUBLIC ENEMIES castmates won't be rolling back into Wisconsin on Monday, April 28th, despite previously announced plans to film at the Hotel Rogers in Beaver Dam on Monday morning and on James Street in Columbus, Wisconsin on Monday afternoon. PUBLIC ENEMIES location scout Adam Boor told the Wisconsin media that "a scheduling conflict" caused the postponement. PUBLIC ENEMIES still plans to film in Beaver Dam and Columbus at some point; Boor told the press that filming "will likely take place the week of May 5th and 6th," but nothing has been confirmed. The studio has been planning on wrapping up the Wisconsin portion of the PUBLIC ENEMIES shoot by May 8th, but that is no longer certain. The Zone thanks Theresa and Emma for the news; you can read more about PUBLIC ENEMIES scheduling on the News & Views forum. To see a larger view of our photo, click here; it shows Michael Mann directing Johnny Depp during a bank robbery scene in Oshkosh.--Part-Time Poet / / April 27, 2008

"I just act scared:" a PUBLIC ENEMIES extra talks about filming the shootout at the Little Bohemia Lodge < <

The lady on the left is Meghan Mosher, one of the Lucky Seven--the seven extras chosen by director Michael Mann to play patrons at the Little Bohemia Lodge during the scene in which John Dillinger and his gang are ambushed by the FBI. Since the Little Bo shoot has been on a closed set, Ms. Mosher's interview with Rick LaFrombois of the Wausau Daily Herald gives a rare glimpse behind-the-scenes--although Mosher didn't see much of the action, since her role required her to dive to the floor and lay face down and motionless while a shootout raged around her. In fact, she lay motionless for three hours, no easy feat when glass is exploding and bullets are strafing the walls. Although Meghan Mosher's co-workers at Camp Manito-wish have started calling her "Hollywood," the recent UW-Madison graduate is planning a career in environmental or experiential education; she'll leave the acting to others. LaFrombois notes that Mosher went to the casting call for extras "on a whim"--her only previous acting experience consisted of "playing Sherlock Holmes in sixth grade." Now she's filming a scene with Johnny Depp. "I have a pretty easy role, I just act scared," Mosher said. "That was easy to do when the room was exploding around me." The Zone thanks Emma for sharing the story; you can read the entire article on the News & Views forum. --Part-Time Poet / / April 26, 2008

On the anniversary of Dillinger's escape, PUBLIC ENEMIES recreates the scene in Manitowish Waters < <

Art imitates life . . . the famed shootout at the Little Bohemia Lodge in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin, in which John Dillinger narrowly escaped an FBI ambush on April 22, 1934, was recreated on its anniversary by the cast and crew of Michael Mann's film PUBLIC ENEMIES, in the actual bullet-scarred setting in Wisconsin's Northwoods. Johnny Depp and Stephen Graham, playing bank robbers John Dillinger and Baby Face Nelson, faced off against Christian Bale, playing FBI nemesis Melvin Purvis, on a closed set at Little Bo. Throngs of curious fans gathered around the highway, hoping to get a glimpse of the actors, or perhaps the ghost of the movie-loving Dillinger himself, but tight security kept onlookers off the 11-acre property at Little Star Lake. Little Bohemia Lodge has been closed for several weeks as crews from Universal Studios worked on restoring the lodge to its 1930s appearance. According to lodge owner Dan Johns, the crews had to move the bar, stain the outer log walls back to their original dark tone, remove trees and build new gravel roads. PUBLIC ENEMIES publicist Dave Fulton explains that director Michael Mann is a stickler for historical accuracy. "The farther you go back (in history), the more unique it is to use the real places," says Fulton. Little Bo is as real as it gets; the walls of the lodge still bear hundreds of bullet holes, souvenirs left behind by the FBI. The Zone thanks Emma for posting many news stories about the filming at Manitowish Waters. You can read them on the News & Views forum. --Part-Time Poet / / April 23, 2008

PUBLIC ENEMIES director Michael Mann thanks Wisconsin < <

Michael Mann, director of PUBLIC ENEMIES, met with Wisconsin Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton and Oshkosh city officials after the completion of filming there, and went on the record with his gratitude to the Badger State. Mr. Mann released the following statement, reported by film critic Duane Dudek in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "It's been several years since I have been back to Wisconsin for work or personal reasons, and I have to say that this trip reminds me how much I miss my roots here in the Midwest. "First, I want to thank the Governor, Lt. Governor and the people of the state of Wisconsin for the support that they have shown our production of PUBLIC ENEMIES. Each of the local communities where we have filmed has been extremely cooperative and have been an integral part of bringing this story to the screen. "In addition, I want to reiterate my enthusiasm for Wisconsin's decision to institute the tax credit bill for filmmakers. There is no question that these tax credits enticed me to bring PUBLIC ENEMIES to film in Wisconsin in the first place. We've had a great experience filming in Wisconsin and, on behalf of everyone connected with the film, I thank you." To see a photo of Michael Mann in action, directing Johnny Depp on the set of PUBLIC ENEMIES, click here. The Zone thanks Inspired for posting the Michael Mann story; you can read it in full on the News & Views forum. --Part-Time Poet / / April 22, 2008

Casting update--Emilie de Ravin joins PUBLIC ENEMIES < <

Emilie de Ravin is best known for her long-running role as Claire Littleton in the television series LOST, but she has spent the week in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, being taken hostage by Johnny Depp . . . nice work if you can get it. Ms. de Ravin has joined the cast of Michael Mann's gangster epic PUBLIC ENEMIES; she plays a woman taken hostage during one of John Dillinger's bank robberies. The Dillinger gang would use hostages as human shields, placing them on the running boards of their getaway car so the police wouldn't shoot as they drove away. To see a larger version of the photo at left--one that includes Johnny Depp as John Dillinger--click here. The photo appeared in USA Today; the Zone thanks Emma for sharing it. --Part-Time Poet / / April 17, 2008

Johnny Depp greets fans while shooting PUBLIC ENEMIES in Oshkosh, Wisconsin < <

A long day on the set of PUBLIC ENEMIES did not deter Johnny Depp from coming out to visit the fans who thronged to Oshkosh, Wisconsin on Monday, hoping for a chance to meet the actor. "No one expected it, but Monday night Johnny Depp took time out from filming the movie PUBLIC ENEMIES in Oshkosh to meet hundreds of fans personally," reports Jason Zimmerman of the Green Bay television station WBAY. "It was an event most people here will never forget." Johnny spent about 30 minutes greeting well-wishers, walking up and down a city block and shaking hands. He did not sign any autographs, but he did take time to converse. "I told him he's a class act and God bless him and his family, and he turned around and came back, lowered his glasses, and says, 'God bless you, I love you,'" Mary Ann Falsetta told reporter Zimmerman. "It was awesome." Added Lauren Seckar, "I was not expecting this at all. This was a total surprise. [. . .] it was amazing. I never expected to meet him. I've been waiting for this as long as I can remember." To see a photo of Johnny Depp shaking hands in Oshkosh, click here, and to read Jason Zimmerman's report, click here. Several Zoners are in Oshkosh and saw Johnny Depp last night; you can read about their adventures on the Porch forum in the thread called "Reporting from Oshkosh." The Zone thanks everyone who has posted accounts and pictures from the filming, and special thanks to Emma for her intrepid reporting of PUBLIC ENEMIES news. --Part-Time Poet / / April 15, 2008

Johnny Depp to voice character for "Spongebob Squarepants" episode < <

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea and has Johnny Depp coming to visit in the not-too-distant future? That's right . . . Johnny Depp will lend his voice to an upcoming episode of the Nickelodeon animated series "Spongebob Squarepants." Voice Director Andrea Romano revealed the news in an interview with ANIMATION WORLD Magazine. She was asked to disclose some of the "biggest surprises" she's had, in terms of actors who have agreed to do voiceover work. Here's her reply: ANDREA ROMANO: [F]or Nickelodeon, I [. . .] also do Spongebob Squarepants, and because Spongebob is such an enormous hit, many actors actually approach us, wanting to do it because . . . well, a lot of actors, the work that they do on-camera, in films, their children can't watch. Maybe they're R-rated movies, or just movies that aren't appropriate for small children . . . . But they'll call us up and say, "My kid is a huge fan of Spongebob Squarepants." David Bowie called and asked if he could be part of Spongebob Squarepants; Gene Simmons from KISS, and his significant other, Shannon Tweed, they came in and did some guest roles. [. . .] I'm actually scheduled to record Johnny Depp in a couple of weeks. Those are all surprises, and those are all people who came to us. The Zone thanks Emma for breaking the news; you can read the entire interview with Andrea Romano on the News & Views forum. --Part-Time Poet / / April 11, 2008

Announcing six new additions to the Johnny Depp Zone Interview Archives! < <

The Zone is happy to announce that we've added six selections to the Johnny Depp Zone Interview Archive. Among the older articles, Stephen Rebello's 1993 interview in Sky Magazine catches the young JD in a liminal moment, when BENNY & JOON, WHAT'S EATING GILBERT GRAPE and ARIZONA DREAM have been finished but are yet to be seen; a controversial 1998 profile for Icon captures JD just as FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS is about to hit theaters; and a March 2001 interview by J. Sperling Reich, part of the promotion for BLOW, contains Johnny's reflections on portraying George Jung. We have also added three outstanding interviews from the recent promotion for SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET: Steve Daly's Q&A with Johnny Depp from Entertainment Weekly; Glenn Whipp's dual interview of JD and Tim Burton for the Los Angeles Daily News; and Mark Salisbury's January 2008 article from the Los Angeles Times. The Zone thanks In-too-Depp, Part-Time Poet, Theresa, Marijose, and Emma for donating articles to the archives, and to Theresa and Joni for transcription and editing. To visit the JDZ Interview Archive, press the JDZ ARCHIVES button above, or click here: http://interview.johnnydepp-zone2.com/ Links to the new additions appear at the bottom of the Interview Archive home page. --Part-Time Poet / / April 10, 2008