Johnny Depp is set to portray Satan in Terry Gilliam’s forthcoming film, The Carnival At The End Of Days. Gilliam, a British filmmaker born in America, characterizes the film as an apocalyptic comedy featuring God, Adam, and Eve.
Depp, now 60, has previously collaborated with Gilliam, the 83-year-old Monty Python star, most notably in the 1998 film adaptation of Hunter S Thompson’s Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas. This will be Depp’s second major film following his high-profile defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife Amber Heard in the US two years ago.
Depp’s most recent role was King Louis XV in the French historical drama Jeanne Du Barry, which debuted at the Cannes Film Festival last year.
Gilliam, renowned for his unique animated collages seen in Monty Python’s opening credits, shared details about his new project with French film magazine Première. He described it as a comedy where God decides to obliterate humanity, with Satan being the only one attempting to save us, as he requires people in hell to keep his job for eternity.
Gilliam confirmed that Jeff Bridges would portray God in the film, represented as “nature” and animated to life. He also revealed that the cast would include Adam Driver and Jason Momoa, though their roles are not yet disclosed.
Momoa is best known for his role as Aquaman in the DC Comics franchise, alongside Depp’s ex-wife Heard, who plays Mera. Gilliam mentioned that the film would feature a contemporary Adam and Eve, adding, “Now we need a woman to complete all that”.
Gilliam hinted that the film would be costly and amusing for those who enjoy being offended. He confirmed that production would commence in January 2025.
This will be Depp’s second major film since he won a lawsuit against Heard in 2022 over an article she penned for The Washington Post discussing her experiences as a domestic abuse survivor, which Depp’s lawyers claimed falsely labeled him as an abuser.
Depp lost a 2020 libel case against The Sun newspaper’s publishers when a High Court judge ruled that Depp had assaulted Heard during their relationship. Depp, who was replaced as Gellert Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts franchise in 2020, claimed Hollywood ostracized him after losing the case.
The release date for The Carnival At The End Of Days is still to be announced.