Johnny Depp to receive lifetime achievement at 2024 Rome Film Festival

Johnny Depp's comeback to directing with Modi follows his critically failed debut with The Brave in 1997. This is also one of Depp's first major ventures since his 2022 court lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard, in which he sued her for defamation over her allegations of domestic abuse. 

American actor and musician Johnny Depp is set to receive the Lifetime Achievement award at the Rome Film Festival 2024. Along with the award, the actor's latest directorial project, 'Modi - Three Days on the Wing of Madness' will also be screened at the festival. Modi is a remarkable biopic on the Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani. 

Modi, which stars Riccardo Scamarcio as the renegade painter and sculptor known for his breakthrough modern portraiture and nudes, will premiere in Rome's non-competitive Grand Public section. The film will eventually be released in Italy, with Be Water working with Maestro Distribution and Medusa Film.

Alongside Scamarcio, the picture features an amazing cast that includes Al Pacino as worldwide art collector Maurice Gangnat, Antonia Desplat, Stephen Graham, Bruno Gouery of The White Lotus fame, Ryan McParland Halo, and Sally Phillips from the Bridget Jones trilogy.

The film's synopsis reads, "On the run from the police, his desire to end his career and leave the city is dismissed by fellow artists Maurice Utrillo, Chaim Soutine, and Modi’s muse, Beatrice Hastings. Modi seeks advice from his art dealer and friend, Leopold Zborowski — however, after a night of hallucinations, the chaos in Modi’s mind reaches a crescendo when faced with an American collector, Maurice Gangnat, who has the power to change his life."

According to Deadline, Viggo Mortensen will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the festival and will present his film 'The Dead Don't Hurt'. This story follows Vivienne Le Coudy, played by Vicky Krieps, as she navigates a complicated relationship with Danish immigrant Holger Olsen, played by Mortensen. Their love tale unfolds against the turbulent setting of the 1860s American Civil War.

Johnny Depp's comeback to directing with Modi follows his critically failed debut with The Brave in 1997. This is also one of Depp's first major ventures since his 2022 court lawsuit against ex-wife Amber Heard, in which he sued her for defamation over her allegations of domestic violence. The 19th edition of the Rome Film Festival will take place from October 16 to 27.