After getting our first unofficial lookatJohnny DeppinBlack Massback in June,Entertainment Weeklyhas revealed the first official photo of the actor looking menacing as ever, playing James ‘Whitey’ Bulger. This biopic charts the rise and fall of Bulger, the real-life Boston mobster who served as the inspiration forJack Nicholson’s Frank Costello inThe DepartedandPete Postlethwaite’s Fergie Colm inThe Town. With this first official photo’s release, the trailer could be just around the corner, but while we wait for the first footage, directorScott Cooperhad this to say about the notorious mobster.
“He could be charming. He could be ruthless. He was like a cobra-you never knew where he could strike.”
James ‘Whitey’ Bulger was the brother of a state senator, played byBenedict Cumberbatch, and became Boston’s most feared gangster, while, at the same time, serving as an FBI informant to get rid of his Italian mafia competition. WhileJohnny Deppmay not have seemed to be the obvious choice to play this gangster,Scott Cooperrevealed that those on the set who knew Whitey Bulger in person got chills when seeing the actor in action.
“A lot of people on set knew Whitey intimately. They got chills at the resemblance. Some of them couldn’t even look at him.”
The photo below showsJohnny Deppwalking down the street after killing a man in a parking lot. The director revealed that this murder took place in front of a number of people in broad daylight.
“He murdered him in front of numerous witnesses in broad daylight. In a word, Whitey was brazen. It’s easy to be the mustache twirling villain but this performance couldn’t be further from that. He is truly gifted.”
The supporting cast includesJoel Edgerton,Dakota Johnson,Jesse Plemons,Juno TempleandAdam Scott. We’ll keep you posted as soon as the first trailer debuts. In the meantime, check out the first official photo ofJohnny DeppinBlack Mass, which hits theaters September 18.
