‘Black Mass’ Generating Oscar Buzz For Johnny Depp

Could Black Mass earn Johnny Depp an Oscar?

Black Mass starring Johnny Depp opens this weekend in theaters across the country, and it is already garnering a great amount of Oscar buzz. Directed by Scott Cooper, Black Mass chronicles the life of Irish-American mobster Whitey Bulger, who is played by Johnny Depp.

As Bustle reports, Johnny Depp had his career stall in the last few years with such critical flops as The Tourist (2010), The Lone Ranger (2013), and Mortdecai (2015). Black Mass has proven to be a welcome respite in Johnny Depp’s filmography.

Although the 2016 Academy Awards are still months away, the award season is ramping up. It remains to be seen what competition Black Mass will come up against. What is evident, though, so early in the season, is that Johnny Depp has re-staked his claim in Hollywood’s elite circle of talented leading men.

So far, Black Mass has debuted at the Venice Film Festival in early September and is slated for wide release on September 18. According to USA Today, the physical transformation of Johnny Depp into Whitey Bulger in Black Mass has proven to be an uncanny likeness. Director Scott Cooper marveled at the transformation Johnny Depp underwent to perform this role.

“[E]motional and psychological transformation from a man that I know to be kind and sweet and gentle to the man you see on screen who is cunning and chilling and cold.”

As well as providing a physical transformation, Black Mass provides an epic biopic for Academy voters to relish in. Both of these traits have shown themselves in Oscar success, and because of these, Johnny Depp’s role in Black Mass may join the ranks of such recent wins as Mattthew McConaughey’s role in Dallas Buyer’s Club (2013) and Daniel Day Lewis’s role in Lincoln (2012).

Johnny Depp has long been a household name, starring in such classic movies as Edward Scissorhands (1990), What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998). According to his IMDB web page, Johnny Depp has been nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Actor in a Leading Role for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Finding Neverland (2004) and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007).

Even Johnny Depp seems self-aware of the impact his Black Mass character might have on his career as he referenced his director at the Toronto International Film Festival.

“I can only thank Scott for reviving my career!”

Will you be watching Johnny Depp in Black Mass this weekend? Tell us what you thought of the movie in the comment section below.

[Image by Paul Marotta/Getty Images]