Johnny Depp May Drop Out Of ‘Black Mass’

Johnny Depp may drop out of the upcoming Whitey Bulger biopic Black Mass.

Cross Creek and Exclusive Media are putting together the gangster flick with director Barry Levinson at the helm. Although Depp previously signed on to star in the project, a dispute over his salary may ultimately derail his participation.

After Black Mass was sold at Cannes, Johnny Depp was asked to decease the amount of his fee. Since the actor apparently doesn’t like the idea of accepting less money, there’s a good chance that he would walk away from the biopic.

Reports suggest that the producers were willing to pay the Pirates of the Caribbean star around $20 million to get him on-board. However, cuts to the film’s $60 million budget put a monkey wrench in their plans. Now Depp is being asked to take half of what he was originally offered.

Although Deadline is reporting that Johnny Depp is still in negotiations with Cross Creek and Exclusive Media, The Hollywood Reporter suggests that he’s already left the project. Neither Depp nor the producers have weighed in on the matter as of this writing.

Since Depp’s involvement was likely a huge factor in the project getting sold, it’s unclear how his departure will affect the deal. THR claims that a search for a replacement is currently on. No word yet if co-star Joel Edgerton is still attached.

Depp has a number of projects headed to the big screen. In addition to Gore Verbinski’s The Lone Ranger, the actor recently filmed the sci-fi flick Transcendence with Morgan Freeman and Rebecca Hall. He’s also attached to reprise his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean 5. The next high seas adventure sets sail in 2015.

Are you a fan of Johnny Depp? What do you think about the actor dropping out of Whitey Bulger biopic Black Mass over a salary dispute?

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