Johnny Depp’s career hasn’t been so hot lately, with his last three leading roles ending up be critical and commercial failures (The Lone Ranger, Transcendence, and Mortdecai). But he may be on the verge of reminding people that’s still one of Hollywood’s best actors by stepping into the shoes of one of America’s most infamous criminals. The newest trailer for Black Mass hit the web today, with Depp portraying James “Whitey” Bulger, a South Boston mob boss who killed 19 people, became an informant for the FBI in 1975, and was finally arrested in June 2011 at age 81 and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences in November of 2013.
Directed by Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Out of the Furnace) and based on the book by Dick Lehr and Gerard O’Neill (Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth wrote the screenplay), Black Mass focuses on Bulger’s (Depp) time in the 1970s. Whitey is ruling the Boston gangster scene and his brother Bill (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a Massachusetts State Senator. They’re approached by FBI agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) with a idea: Whitey gives up the names of members of the invading Italian mob to Connolly, and Whitey gets to be a kingpin while the FBI looks the other way. As time goes on, the partnership becomes strained, and Whitey becomes more dangerous to himself and others around him.
Black Mass boasts an all-star cast including Depp, Cumberbatch, Edgerton, Dakota Johnson, Kevin Bacon, Jesse Plemons, Peter Sarsgaard, and Corey Stoll. Of course, the main draw is Depp appearing to have a role to really sink his teeth into. With his menacing eyes and imposing demeanor, it’s hard to deny interest into this dark and gritty drama. Could this be Johnny Depp’s saving grace and the first big movie to kick off Awards Season? Find out when Black Mass hits theaters on September 18th. Until then, check out the trailer and let us know what you think!
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