Has Johnny Depp Lost His Edge—Or Totally Not?

Has Johnny Depp Lost His Edge—Or Totally Not? - E! Online E! Online E! Online Videos Sign In Register Shop Mobile Podcasts RSS Feeds Widgets Boards NewsLatest StoriesAsk the Answer B!tchH'wood Party GirlLyons DenMarc Malkin Vampire Party!Tickets and ShowtimesCelebrity AddictionaryPhotosThe Big PictureFashion PoliceMoviesParty PicsTop Steals of the WeekSo True So False Guessing GameAll Photos »VideoFashion PoliceSummer Style GuideRed CarpetAcademy AwardsGolden GlobesGrammy AwardsSAG AwardsBAFTA AwardsEmmy AwardsSundance Film FestCannes Film FestPremieres & MoreRock the Red CarpetRed Carpet Pose-OffShop Red CarpetMoviesAwful TruthWatch w/ KristinThe SoupChelsea LatelyE! ShowsSchedulePersonalitiesPlay A PartE! TunesMessage BoardsRed CarpetSweepstakes20 Years of E!After LatelyBridalplastyChelsea LatelyDr. 90210E! InvestigatesE! NewsFashion PoliceThe Girls Next DoorGiuliana & BillHolly's WorldIce Loves Coco Jerseylicious Keeping Up with the Kardashians Kendra Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane Khloé and LamarKourtney & Kim Take New YorkMarried To RockMovies We LovePretty WildSex and the CityThe Dance SceneThe SoupThe Spin CrowdTrue Hollywood StoryWhat's Eating YouMore » Ask the Answer B!tchShe's here to help

MainWho's the B!tch?Email meMessage BoardsRSS Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player. -->BlogrollCintra WilsonGo Fug YourselfJezebelFishbowl LAJames WolcottThe Poor Man InstituteSadly, No!Molly GoodFafblogJust JaredJesus' GeneralThe SuperficialCute OverloadRadio ScheduleXM ScheduleSirius Schedule--> Podcasts Which Harry Potter Book Was the Best?And other great mysteries of Hollywood, beheaded for your pleasure in our weekly podcast!Can't Someone Keep Celebs Like Cee Lo Green From Tweeting?And other great mysteries of Hollywood, beheaded for your pleasure in our weekly podcast!How Could Selena Gomez Possibly Be Malnourished?And other great mysteries of Hollywood, beheaded for your pleasure in our weekly podcast!Is "Super 8" Way Too Secretive?And other great mysteries of Hollywood, beheaded for your pleasure in our weekly podcast!Subscribe: iTunesRSSMore Podcasts>>Ask A QuestionGot a query about how Hollywood works? Ask it!Get Your E! News Now

Text ENEWS to 4INFO (44636) for daily celeb news alerts

Standard messaging rates apply.

Did you know you can grab smokin' hot E! Online news, review and gossip through our RSS service?

New to RSS feeds? Learn more >>

Enter a valid address

Birthdate:

Enter your full birthdate:

Opt in for Breaking News Alerts
I have read and agree to the terms of the Privacy Policy. I have read and agree to the terms of the Privacy Policy.

or cancel

has been subscribed to the E! News Now Newsletter.

To change your settings, go to your preferences.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player. Has Johnny Depp Lost His Edge—Or Totally Not?Today 7:30 AM PDTby Leslie Gornstein

BAUER-GRIFFIN.COM

What's happened to Johnny Depp? He used to choose such eclectic and versatile roles, but now he just seems satisfied to keep mailing in the Jack Sparrow role.
—Malone S., via Facebook

Given that there is already talk of a Pirates 5 and 6 (suggested title: At Wit's End), you may not want to read what I've discovered:

SEE? Johnny Also Likes His Old-Timey Rock 'n' Roll

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player. PlayDaniel Radcliffe Puts End to "Potter" PlayPremiere: "Horrible Bosses" PlayJennifer Aniston's Raunchy New Role

Which is that Johnny Depp, actually, seems to enjoy playing the role. He likes it. Makes him happy, even.

"Interestingly enough, for me, a character like Captain Jack, you feel you could just continue," Depp told HitFix. "The possibilities are endless and limitless. There is any possibility of madness and absurdity that could commence. You feel with this character you are never really done."

And, while fans may assume that Depp doesn't need any more money, entertainment attorneys tell me that, in Hollywood, no matter how classy the actor, there is never such a thing as too much money.

By all indications, Depp really is doing the Jack Sparrow thing because he wants to, not because he's lost his edge, or because he has to.

According to top entertainment attorney Jay Shanker of McAfee Taft, most contracts for franchise work won't tie up an actor for more than two or three installments, at first. After that, an actor may get signed on to one or two more sequels, but it's unlikely that Depp, at his place at the top of the A-list, is contractually obligated to keep lurching around, leering at Penelope Cruz.

"He gets to put on a pirate suit and be himself, and he is making a huge piece of the grosses on these films," Shanker posits. "I think that's the bottom line."

As for whether Depp has lost that edge you speak of, maybe not.

He's filming a big-screen adaptation of the TV gothic Dark Shadows (which, if not exactly edgy, has to be smarter than the Disney franchise), and just wrapped The Rum Diary, a film based on the turbulent novel by Hunter S. Thompson.

I probably shouldn't tell you that Depp also is attached to the upcoming Lone Ranger flick. He'll be playing Tonto.

PHOTOS: See Johnny At His Freakiest!

TweetShare49 Commentsfiled underPirates of the Caribbean,Movies,johnny deppEditor's PicksWhat's Cooking?What's Cooking?Read This NowHot PhotosStars & Stripes Style49 CommentsShow the next 1 - 0 of 49 commentsNow loading...Add Your Comment!Guests

E! Online members

Register | Forgot password?

Play nice and have fun. And please, no HTML tags or special characters including [&*#()!@$].
You've got 1000 characters left.

Post Comment E! OnlineSend Us Your Feedback » NewsLatest StoriesMarc MalkinLyons DenParty GirlAnswer BitchMovie ReviewsPhotosThe Big PictureFashion PoliceParty PicsMoviesVideoFashion PoliceRed CarpetAcademy AwardsGolden GlobesGrammy AwardsSAG AwardsBAFTA AwardsEmmy AwardsSundance Film Fest Cannes Film FestPremieres & MoreE! ShowsSchedulePersonalitiesPlay a PartE! TunesMessage boardsWATCH with KRISTINAWFUL TRUTHSHOP E!MORESweepstakesNewslettersMobilePodcastsRSS FeedsWidgetsIndependent Programming ReportAbout UsContact UsStaffCareersFAQAdvertiseSitemap Use of this site signifies your acceptance of the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Copyright 2011 E! Entertainment Television, LLC. A Division of NBCUniversal.E! International Edition:

USA

AustraliaGermanyItalyFranceUKCanadaUSA @import url('http://s3.amazonaws.com/getsatisfaction.com/feedback/feedback.css');

View the Original article