Johnny Depp’s box office acclaim has joined his critique: the gutter.
The actor’s once-revered new film, “Minamata,” had a bleak weekend after it was released in U.S. theaters on Friday, February 5th. its name no longer seems like a reliable promise of profitability, as the new film has so far contributed less than $ 15,000, according to IMDB Pro’s Box Office Mojo.
Although the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has negatively affected film revenue across the industry, “Minamata” failed to make even the top 18 gross national films over the three-day period, losing drama. Serbian historian “Dara of Jasenovac”, which according to reports in only $ 15,011, in addition to the comedy “Freaky”, which hit theaters 13 weeks ago and earned $ 25,000 over the weekend.
“Minamata” is based on the book of the same name about the war photographer in Life W. Eugene Smith magazine, whose travels to Japan documented the effects of mercury poisoning in a small town. Portraying Smith, Depp bears no resemblance to him and is “almost unrecognizable behind sun damage, liver spots, and a sparse, scattered beard, in what appears to be an extension of Hunter S gonzo performance. Thompson who offered ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,’ ”according to Variety’s review of the film.
The film premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2020 and was a significant creation of Depp, its director told Deadline last year. “That’s Johnny’s concept, Johnny’s idea, which he found quite passionate,” Andrew Levitas said.
While COVID-19 is undeniably a major economic blow to new releases, so is Depp’s recent legal relapse after losing a defamation case with a British newspaper over allegations of repeatedly hitting his ex-wife, Amber. Heard. “You just can’t work with him now,” a study official on Depp said, following the court’s decision. “It’s radioactive.”