MOVIE NEWS – A photo has is showing Johnny Depp in his new role in the upcoming Waiting for the Barbarians movie, and it’s a really stark contrast to the swashbuckling image that fans have been familiar with as Pirates of the Caribbean’s Jack Sparrow.

Based upon the novel of the same title by eminent author JM Coetzee, Waiting for the Barbarians is now in post-production in Cannes. The film stars Depp as the colonel Joll, besides other big stars such as Oscar-winner Mark Rylance, and Robert Pattinson. The movie is told to be a “startling allegory of the war between oppressor and oppressed,” which deals with issues of colonialism and imperialism that are actual major themes within Coetzee’s novel. The story is set in a frontier settlement, with war between the Empire and the barbarians on the horizon. Directed by Oscar-nominated Ciro Guerra, the film was shot in Europe and North Africa and is yet to have a confirmed release date.

The very first image sees Johnny Depp‘s character fully dressed in colonial clothes, sporting a rather menacing grin. There appears to be a lot of care in the production design, based on this image. Oscar-winner Mark Rylance can also be seen on this image, walking behind Johnny Depp. Rylance plays a character known as the Magistrate, who is loyal to the Empire. Depp portrays a devious man by the name of Colonel Joll.

Waiting for the Barbarians is therefore a far cry from some of his more recent characters, allowing Depp to explore the dark themes present in Coetzee’s work, namely that of complicity within regimes that are unjust. Born in South Africa, Coetzee is a celebrated and respected writer who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2003. He is also a Booker Prize winner. Though the book is being adapted for the big screen, it’s unclear whether it will receive the same acclaim and accolades that Coetzee received with his novel.

The story centres on the Magistrate, who has been a loyal servant of the Empire for decades. He’s been running the affairs of a tiny frontier settlement and ignoring the impending war with the barbarians. Things change when interrogation experts arrive and he witnesses the Empire’s cruel and terrible treatment of prisoners of war. This causes the Magistrate to sympathize with the victims, leading him to commit an act of rebellion, effectively making him an enemy of the state.

For Depp, this is a move away from the blockbuster stage and back to the indie arena in which he made his mark. Depp has become known for huge roles as Jack Sparrow, Willy Wonka and the recently (controversial) Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts series, as well his many collaborations with Tim Burton. He is known for taking on roles that challenge him as an actor – roles that vary from the chilling, to the child-like. With Waiting for the Barbarians, it remains to be seen whether Depp can achieve with this role as the oppressive Colonel Joll what he has with his roles in the past. Though, if the Waiting for the Barbarians picture is anything to go by, that might just be the case.

At one point, Johnny Depp was unequivocally one of the most promising actors working in Hollywood. That feels like a long time ago. Depp hasn’t worked on a proper indie movie for some time. His most recent effort was Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, which didn’t quite live up to expectations.

Couple that with Mark Rylance, who won an Oscar for his work in Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies, and Robert Pattinson, who has really asserted himself as a great actor outside of Twilight, and this could prove to be something of a certain quality.

Waiting for the Barbarians is listed as being in post-production currently, but the movie hasn’t yet locked down a release date. Be sure to check out the first-look photo below, which was first shared by The Hollywood Reporter.

First Look: Johnny Depp as Colonial Oppressor in ‘Waiting for the Barbarians’ (Exclusive) https://t.co/42ygkIec6m pic.twitter.com/j5qnBWI2ES

— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) 2019. május 3.