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Johnny Depp<\/strong> may be making his way down the Croissette. Variety<\/em> reports<\/a> that Jeanne du Barry,<\/em> a historical drama directed by French actress and filmmaker Ma\u00efwenn<\/strong> and starring Depp will open the 76th Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday, May 16. Per the festival, the film will be released in French theaters on the same day.<\/p>\n The film will mark Depp\u2019s first major film role in over three years, since his lengthy and controversial legal battle<\/a> against ex-wife Amber Heard<\/strong><\/a> that led to a defamation trial which Depp won<\/a> in June of 2022. (Both appealed the decision<\/a> and then Heard settled with Depp<\/a> for a reported $1 million in December.) Since then, he\u2019s been keeping a relatively low profile, spending his days antiquing in the English countryside<\/a>, according to the Daily Mail.<\/em><\/p>\n Jeanne du Barry<\/em> follows the tumultuous relationship between King Louis XV of France, played by Depp, and his lover Jeanne du Barry, played by Ma\u00efwenn, who lived with Louis XV in Versailles despite not being of noble birth. Louis XV was France\u2019s second-longest-reigning monarch, sitting atop the throne for nearly 59 years before dying in relative disgrace after being accused of corruption. Depp and Ma\u00efwenn star in the French-language film alongside Benjamin Lavernhe,<\/strong> Melvil Poupaud,<\/strong> Pierre Richard,<\/strong> Pascal Greggory,<\/strong> and India Hair.<\/strong><\/p>\n Jeanne du Barry<\/em> is produced by Pascal Caucheteux<\/strong> and Gr\u00e9goire Sorlat<\/strong>\u2019s Paris-based company Why Not Productions, with Goodfellas<\/a>, the company behind Titane,<\/em> handling world sales. \u00a0According to Variety,<\/em> the Kentucky-born Depp speaks French in the film and only knew a little French before filming. Depp apparently considers himself something of a Francophone having been in a relationship with French singer and actress Vanessa Paradis<\/strong> from 1998 to 2012, and having owned various properties in the country on and off. In 2021, the actor referred to the country as his \u201chome<\/a>\u201d on the news channel France 24.<\/p>\n Ma\u00efwenn has previously competed at the festival: taking home the Jury Prize for her film Polisse<\/em> in 2011, earning Emmanuelle Bercot<\/strong> a best-actress award for the film Mon Roi<\/em> in 2015, and was set to premiere her semi-autobiographical film DNA<\/em> in 2020. It\u2019s not confirmed whether Depp will attend the Cannes premiere or whether the film will compete in the competition. Jeanne du Barry<\/em> now joins other high-profile Cannes premieres including Martin Scorsese<\/strong>\u2019s Killers of the Flower Moon,<\/em> James Mangold<\/strong>\u2019s sequel Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,<\/em> and Wes Anderson<\/strong>\u2019s Asteroid City.<\/em>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n