Mentions of death, torture, and suicide

Summary

• Johnny Depp's next project, Modì, is not his directorial debut, but rather his second film as a director after the poorly received The Brave.
• Modì will tell the story of Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani and focus on two chaotic days in his life while he was in Paris and on the run from the police.
• The Brave faced controversy not only for its negative reviews but also due to behind-the-scenes tragedies and Depp casting himself as an indigenous person, similar to his later role in The Lone Ranger.

Johnny Depp is set to direct the biographical drama Modì, but contrary to popular belief, Modì isn’t Depp’s directorial debut, but his first movie is pretty difficult to find. For his next project, Johnny Depp is leaving acting behind and focusing only on directing and producing the movie titled Modì, based on the play Modigliani by Dennis McIntyre. Modì will tell the story of Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani, known for his portraits in a style characterized by surreal elongation of the face, neck, and more.

Starring Riccardo Scamarcio as Amedeo Modigliani and Antonia Desplat as Beatrice Hastings, Modì will focus on two chaotic days in Modigliani’s life while he lived in Paris and was on the run from the police. There, planning to end his career and leave the city, Modigliani was persuaded by fellow artists to continue his career, and he met Polish art dealer Léopold Zborowski, who would change his career. Modì is believed to be Johnny Depp’s directorial debut, but it’s actually the second movie he directs, but his first one was so badly received and controversial that it’s not easy to find.

Why Johnny Depp Intentionally Sabotaged The Brave’s Distribution

The Brave hasn't been released on home media in the US

Johnny Depp made his directorial debut in 1997 with the independent neo-western The Brave, an adaptation of Gregory Mcdonald’s novel of the same name with a script written by Depp, his brother D.P. Depp, and Paul McCudden. When Depp was offered to direct the project, he didn’t like the script, but he liked “the idea of sacrifice for family” and kept thinking of things to add to the story (via LA Times). In order to attract more potential financers, Depp cast himself in the lead role and agreed to pay for the movie if it went over budget.

The Brave premiered at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival, where it was received with negative reviews, with some critics calling it “turgid”, “unbelievable” (via Variety), and even “narcissistic” (via Time Out). Although Depp initially said he “couldn’t care less” about the reviews (via LA Times), they ended up leading him to sabotage the distribution of The Brave. Depp decided not to give The Brave a formal release in the U.S. and it can’t be found on home media, either, and definitely not on a streaming service, and though it found international distributors, it got a limited release in other countries and was released on DVD.

What Is Johnny Depp’s The Brave About?

The Brave takes a disturbing turn

When looking at the plot of The Brave, it’s not hard to see why critics had such strong opinions about it. The Brave is the story of Raphael (Johnny Depp), a Native American man recently released from prison and who’s living with his wife and two children in a trailer park in a remote community. Raphael, an unemployed alcoholic, is convinced he has nothing to offer and feels hopeless as he can’t provide for his family. The desperation of his situation leads him to accept the offer of McCarthy (Marlon Brando), a snuff film director and producer who wants him to star in his new film.

Starring in McCarthy’s film will give Raphael enough money to give his family a better life, but he isn’t fully aware of what’s about to happen to him. Raphael is about to be tortured and killed, and he’s given part of the money in advance and a week to live before he’s subjected to different horrors in front of the camera. The Brave doesn’t focus on the footage of the snuff film Raphael is a part of, but on his relationship with his family and life, as he knows he doesn’t have much time left.

Johnny Depp’s The Brave Was Surrounded By Controversy

The Brave is said to be a "cursed film"

The controversy around Johnny Depp’s The Brave is not just about its reception but also some behind-the-scenes tragedies. Before Johnny Depp was offered to direct and rewrite The Brave, Aziz Ghazal was attached as director, but in 1993, Ghazal killed his wife and daughter before committing suicide. Ghazal’s body wasn’t found until a month later, so Touchstone Pictures immediately suspended production on The Brave. However, as the project’s investors had already spent a substantial amount of money on it, they pushed for it to be made – and that’s when Johnny Depp ed.

Of course, The Brave also drew controversy for Depp casting himself as an indigenous person, a situation that would repeat itself in 2013 when he was cast as Tonto in The Lone Ranger. Johnny Depp didn’t direct a movie again after The Brave until now with Modì, so it’s to be seen if he learned from the mistakes of his directorial debut and if Modì can give him a better reputation as a director.

Sources: LA Times, Variety, Time Out.