Modi producer Barry Navidi has no doubt his old pal Johnny Depp’s directorial comeback with Modi, Three Days on the Wing of Madness will be the first step in his return to Hollywood after the Amber Heard legal battle.
Navidi and his production partner Al Pacino asked Depp to direct Modi, which left the actor “surprised” and “humbled.” The movie is a dramatization of three turbulent days in the life of Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani (Riccardo Scamarcio) which left a major impact on his art.
Pacino also stars in the movie as American collector Maurice Gangnat.
Recalling Depp’s reaction to the script, Navidi told Variety: “Johnny fell in love with it. He’s got his DNA all over the picture.”
When asked about the legal battle with Amber Heard and its impact on Depp’s career, he said: “He’s exonerated. He won the case. And the reality is, it doesn’t really matter what everybody else thinks because he’s innocent and has a lot of loyal friends in Hollywood. I think it’s just a matter of time — that this movie perhaps is going to help and, at the same time, open doors. I know that his popularity is one thing in Hollywood — but the masses, the world, they love him.”
Modi isn’t the first time Navidi has worked with Depp. The duo worked together 30 years ago on a film named Divine Rapture, which was cancelled by the producers mid-way.