Johnny Depp to produce adaptation of ‘The Master and Margarita’
Johnny Depp is set to co-produce the first English-language feature adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita.
The announcement was made at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia on December 10th. It was revealed that the film will be produced in collaboration with Tribune Pictures and Depp’s IN.2 Film. Svetlana Dali and Grace Loh will produce the project with Depp, Stephen Deuters, and Stephen Malit.
At the time of writing, no director is attached to the project. No casting details were announced; however, it was shared that the film will go into production in late 2026.
Executive producers on the project include Nevin Shalit, Andrew Fourman, World Vision’s Konstantin Elkin, Tribune Pictures’ Michael Paletta, and the late Michael Lang.
The satirical novel The Master and Margarita was written by Mikhail Bulgakov in the Soviet Union between 1928 and 1940. Expectedly, it deals with heavy political themes. It follows two time periods set in two locations, namely, 1930s Moscow and Jerusalem in the time of Pontius Pilate.
The novel focuses on the devil’s reappearance in Moscow. Other characters include a talking cat in Behemoth and the heroine, the eponymous Margarita.
Depp’s film career recently stalled after a publicised legal battle with his ex-wife, actor Amber Heard.
Earlier this year, he commented on the ordeal: “I was pre-MeToo. I was like a crash test dummy for MeToo. It was before Harvey Weinstein. And I sponged it, took it all in. And so I wanted from the hundreds of people I’ve met in that industry to see who was playing it safe… Better go woke!”
Since the controversy, he has slowly been returning to the screen. Depp recently directed and produced 2024’s Modì, Three Days on the Wing of Madness. He has also starred in the 2020 feature Minamata and the 2023 feature Jeanne du Barry.
In addition to this project, Deep is in final talks to play Ebenezer Scrooge in Paramount Pictures’ dark film adaptation of A Christmas Carol, directed by Ti West. The Pirates of the Caribbean actor is also attached to star with Penélope Cruz in Lionsgate’s upcoming action thriller Day Drinker from Marc Webb.
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