Johnny Depp is in “advanced negotiations” to join Emir Kusturica’s “Seven Friends of Pancho Villa and the Woman With Six Fingers,” a biopic about the famous revolutionary .
Depp, who previously worked with Kusturica on the excellent and underrated “Arizona Dream” way back in 1993, would play the lead role, and would act in Spanish. Depp’s “Desperado” co-star, Salma Hayek, is being courted for a role as well, probably as the six fingered woman (Javier Bardem was also rumored to be apart of this at one point too; it remains unclear what his involvement is now if any).
The film, scripted by longtime Kusturica collaborator Gordan Mihic, is an adaptation of the novel “The Friends of Pancho Villa” by James Carlos Blak in which “Villa and his compadres had a great time fighting and robbing the rich, but also dancing, partying and making love.” Sounds like a blast (and Javier Bardem was once apart of).
However, with Johnny Depp busy filming “Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” and “The Tourist” throughout 2010, “Seven Friends Of Pancho Villa and the Woman With Six Fingers” is not expected to shoot until 2011. But Kusturica won’t be sitting around waiting for his phone ring. Next year, he’s planning to shoot “Cool Water,” a black comedy “set amid the MidEast conflict, about a Palestinian stripper working in Germany who returns to her homeland to bury her dead father.”
Oh, and if you haven’t seen “Arizona Dream” do yourself a favor and track down a copy right now. The nutball film is a charming love letter to American movies and features the most eclectic cast you’ll ever see in your lifetime including Jerry Lewis, Vincent Gallo (in one of this funniest roles), Faye Dunaway and Lili Taylor. It’s not on DVD in R1 land (probably due to issues clearing the extensive use of clips from “North By Northwest” and “The Godfather” in the film) but if you have an all-region player or even a VCR, it’s worth the hunt.
Oh shit, i didn't realize this was Emir Kusturica's. Fucking hell. Arizona Dream is great. Too bad that thing's not available on DVD. I love that guys work (though not sure if Dream has aged well), Underground is still awesome, as is Black Cat, White Cat.
Hope this happens.
Emir has been planning this project for many years now, and since he's very close friend with both Depp and Hayek, they were in the game from the beginning.
He will shoot the movie in Serbia where he bought himself a land on one of the mountains and built a studio and a whole idyllic village which he uses for shooting his movies. His movie festival CUSTENDORF is held there in the lovely surroundings of snow capped mountains every January gathering all his movie friends in a warm and relaxed atmosphere. PANCHO VILLA is supposed to be shot here as well.
@Dezmond – in Variety, it says that some of the film will be shot in Mexico.
@Dezmond
I've been to Kusturica's village, but maybe the one you're referring to is a different one. The village I saw was more a tribute to film and other personalities than it was a potential location for filming.
It was more of a nice place with small cottages for tourists to stay in. With streets named after Diego Maradona, Novak Djokovic and a jail-house dedicated to Javier Solana and George Bush.
The one I'm referring to is Kusturica's town called Mecavnik
buen elenco la pelicula de maradona por emir esta muy buena. .. , si esta johnny. en donde este el todo esta bueno!!
alright, lady, chill. enough.