Johnny Depp has made his return to the silver screen in French period drama and interest has been high ever since its phenomenally well-received Cannes Film Festival debut. is Johnny Depp’s first feature film since his widely publicized legal disputes with ex-wife Amber Heard. , also titled, sees Depp tackle the part of yet another historical figure following his notable portrayals of J.M. Barrie, John Dillinger, Ed Wood, Donnie Brasco, and John Wilmot. The new Johnny Depp movie is directed by Maïwenn, who previously helmed French films like , and and it's already creating conversations.

The movie transports audiences back to France in the 18th century and explores the real-life relationship between

and his favorite mistress Madame du Barry. Barry wasn’t well-liked at the king’s court, with famous royalty like Marie Antoinette — who married the king’s grandson — describing her as a scandalous figure. While the period drama will likely focus on her relationship with Johnny Depp’s character, Madame du Barry was notable for her continued controversies after the king’s death and well into the French Revolution. was licensed for streaming by Netflix, and anticipation for the U.S. release date is high.

The most recent news finally detail the movie's U.S. distribution following the movie's huge theatrical success in France (via ). has been acquired by Vertical for its North America release, which means the movie is much closer to getting a U.S. release date. This follows a phenomenal box office run in France, as the new Johnny Depp movie made over $4 million in the country alone (via ), and that's without being released anywhere else in Europe too.

Other updates about the new Johnny Depp movie come from the star himself. Many are calling a comeback for the actor after he was dropped from the

franchise by Warner Bros. and hasn't had a major movie release in several years. However, Johnny Depp himself seems to disagree with the comeback assessment (via ). Depp explained, ""

was released in French theaters the same day as its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2023. will then release on Netflix in France 15 months after its theatrical premiere, so it is predicted to drop on the service around August 2024. The was released in French theaters in July 2021 before being distributed in the US in October, so if

follows a similar model, it could arrive in the U.S. around August 2023.

However, it all depends on the movie finding a U.S. distributor, which is why the official release date outside of France has not been officially announced. Thankfully, recent news confirms that a deal has been made with Vertical (, so a release date will likely be announced in the near future. The distributor acquired the distribution rights to 2022's Emily the Criminal in February, and it was released in August, which is a difference of around six months. Going by that rule of thumb, the movie could be released in November or December, but it also depends on where on the calendar the distributor thinks the movie will be most successful.

Opposite Johnny Depp’s Louis XV in the cast is director Maïwenn in the title role. Maïwenn got her start in the business as a child actor and enjoyed her breakout in the 1983 movie, (). She also had a bit role in while she was married to that movie's director, Luc Besson. Her most famous role was as the alien Diva Plavalaguna in . As a director, Maïwenn was previously nominated for a Cesar Award for the 2006 movie and won the Jury Prize at Cannes for her 2011 movie

The rest of the cast is also considerably well-crafted.

The French movie will also star Pascal Greggory as Le Duc d'Aiguillon, Pierre Richard as Le Duc de Richelieu, Noémie Lvovsky as La Comtesse de Noailles, Benjamin Lavernhe as La Borde, and India Hair as Adélaïde. Rounding out the cast is Melvil Poupaud as Le Comte du Barry, Suzanne de Baecque as Victoire, Capucine Valmary as Louise, Diego Le Fur as Le Dauphin, Micha Lescot as Mercy, Marianne Basler as Anne, Robin Renucci as Monsieur Dumousseaux, and Pauline Pollmann as King Louis XV's wife, Marie Antoinette.

Interest in has soared since the movie's premiere screening at the Cannes Film Festival. For anyone wondering if the new Johnny Depp movie was going to be well-received in Johnny Depp's comeback, the news is that it is very good. The audience in attendance gave the movie a seven-minute standing ovation at its conclusion. Of course, this is something that has happened before with movies that ended up critically panned. received a 17-minute standing ovation at Cannes and ended up with a 58% Rotten Tomatoes rating and only made $1.3 million worldwide.

Based on the reviews from critics who say , it looks similar.

The movie sits at 51% on Rotten Tomatoes, so it will be interesting to see how it levels out when regular audiences are concerned. It will be 15 months after the French theatrical premiere before it arrives on Netflix in the country, and there is still no word on when audiences in the United States will get a chance to see the movie. However, for now, the cast and crew can enjoy their Cannes fame. Depp was reported to be holding back tears as he waved to the audience while Maïwenn cried openly as she addressed the audience.

I want to share this moment with my lover, with my producer, with Le Pacte.

It was a production that was difficult to finance … and I want to share this moment with all my team across the theater.

The new Johnny Depp movie is a dramatized biopic of a real French monarch — King Louis XV. King Louis XV, who ruled from 1715 until his death in 1774, was the last king of France before the French Revolution, which began under the reign of his grandson Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette. for his largely ineffective rule, which led the nation to financial ruin, and was remembered for frequent accusations of corruption.

He also had many mistresses, with Jeanne Du Barry as his favorite of them all. This movie focuses on both his failing reign as King and his romance with Madame De Barry.

Many updates arrived after its Cannes Film Festival premiere. The movie follows Jeanne Du Barry, a rebellious low-born French woman who ends up as King Louis XV's favorite mistress. Along the way, she tries to change things thanks to her rebellious spirit, both in how she dresses and how she acts around the courtiers. She is smart, much more so than the King, and both book-read and philosophical in nature. Out of all the King's mistresses, she was the one that turned things upside down during his reign.

The trailer arrived a month before its Cannes Film Festival premiere and showed the costumes and extravagance involved in this movie. It started out with Jeanne Du Barry enjoying her life while interacting with various men and locals. However, when her father sets up a meeting with King Louis XV, her life changes forever. It then shows their romantic affair starting and the adverse reaction of King Louis XV's trusted counsel and even his own daughters to the arrival of his new lover.