MOVIE NEWS – The unrecognisably masked Johnny Depp has recently been sporting a Jack Sparrow-style look in a live-action short film for a video game called Seas of Dawn.

One of the big scandals or events of the year was the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard trial, which was settled in Virginia in the second half of spring. The verdict went in Depp’s favour, but the actor was not rehabilitated in Hollywood. Still, he did have roles elsewhere, including in a live-action short film for the video game Sea of Dawn, a multiplayer nautical adventure title. You can watch the 4.5-minute short film below.

Sea of Dawn is an open-world MMORPG (MMORPG is a massive, interconnected world role-playing game genre that allows hundreds of players to participate) from Chinese developer Changyou, so it was a good idea to get Johnny Depp, who plays Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean, to appear in the promotional video. Depp, of course, plays Phillip Artoosh, a sea fortune hunter and art treasure collector, and it’s OK to recognise the star from his gestures alone, as the make-up artists have done a fine job. That’s why the actor plays the character Jack Sparrow-style, in fact, his character practically looks like a retired, aged version of Sparrow.

Sea of Dawn is set in the 16th century, the age of exploration, and the gameplay includes ship battles, capturing enemy ships, trading, exploring distant cultures and mysteries. The MMORPG uses the famous Unreal Engine, and is already available in China for mobile and PC, with a delayed launch in our region and North America. Johnny Depp is said to have been actively involved in making the live-action short film, not just as an actor, as he also helped create his character. The promotional material was filmed in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, at the end of 2021, well before the trial in Virginia. If you’re curious to see how this film was made, you can also check out the accompanying promotional video below!

According to a former Disney executive, Johnny Depp has a good chance to play the real Jack Sparrow again. The actor is also working with French actor Maïwenn on a film in which he plays King Louis XV. Meanwhile, in response to Amber Heard and her team’s appeal, the Depps have also appealed the Virginia verdict against the male star.