TORONTO – Johnny Depp has certainly made the most of his Hollywood hiatus while in Hungary, France and now Italy, and for more reasons than one. Just a week ago Depp shared the stage in an open-air amphitheatre with Andrea Bocelli in Lajatico, Tuscany, the singer’s hometown. Bocelli performs annually at the amphitheatre – called the Teatro del Silenzio – of which he is the honourary president, having aided in its consctruction.

This year’s concert was named “Andrea 30: The Celebration”, marking Bocelli’s 30th anniversary working in Music. Depp and Bocelli reunited on stage to perform ‘En Aranjuez Con Tu Amor’, honouring Depp’s friend and legendary Rock Musician Jeff Beck – who died suddenly in 2023 of bacterial meningitis.

The three of them had previously played the song together in 2020. But while Depp may have been honouring a rock legend that night, he’s spent a good portion of the last two years honouring Italian Painter and Sculptor Amedeo Modigliani, with his directorial debut film titled “Modi”.

Amedeo Modigliani, born in Livorno in the late 19th century, moved to Paris’s Montmartre district during a time of growing artistic experimentation. Some of his contemporaries were Picasso, Matisse and Brancusi, all leading the Avant Guard movement through what many Historians today would call the precursor to modern art.

It isn’t difficult to pinpoint why Depp would choose Modigliani as the subject for his foray into directing, as the Italian Painter led a colourful life, living hard and fast while beloved by most – and sorely misunderstood by others.

A tragic figure, Modigliani battled through illness from early childhood and eventually died at 35 from tubercular meningitis. Amidst living in poor health, he painted peoples portraits for a living, but in a manner so abstract as to create mask-like faces with elongated necks and hollowed out eyes.

His portraiture and sculptures were at once expressionistic and futuristic, but while he was alive not very popular or financially viable – he often gave away work in exchange for meals. Ironically, Modigliani is today the only painter with two paintings to have sold above $100 million in art auction history: Nu couché ($170.4 million) and Nu couché, sur le côté gauche ($157.1 million).

“Modi” wrapped principle photography earlier this year, and is reportedly almost finished post-production. The film will follow its subject during “two chaotic days in Paris as he grapples with his career, friendships, and the pursuit of leaving the city”.

The good news for enthusiasts of Italian cinema and its actors is that Depp isn’t casting Adam Driver to play the historical painter – a joke of course in reference to Driver having previously been cast as prominent Italians, Enzo Ferrari and Maurizio Gucci. Riccardo Scamarcio will play Modigliani, and rounding out the ensemble cast is Antonia Desplat (as Beatrice Hastings), Bruno Gouery (as Maurice Utrillo), Ryan McParland (as Chaïm Soutine) and the legendary Al Pacino (as Maurice Gangnat).

The emerging production/distribution company “Be Water” will be distributing the film in Italy. 

Massimo Volpe is a filmmaker and freelance writer from Toronto: he writes reviews of Italian films/content on Netflix