Johnny Depp returned to the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival on Friday, sort of — on screen, not in person.
The opening ceremony of the 57th edition of Central Europe’s biggest film festival in the Czech spa town on Friday presented the highly anticipated premiere of its annual trailer featuring the Pirates of the Caribbean actor.
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It was directed by director and commercial director Ivan Zachariáš and takes place in Hotel Gellért, an Art Nouveau hotel in Budapest. With Depp working in Europe at the time of production, a stopover in Hungary fitted into his work schedule, the festival noted. “From the start of filming, he told me that he would prefer to improvise,” said Zachariáš. “I was a little surprised at first, but it turned out to be a great idea, because Johnny ended up putting even more of his own personality into the trailer.”
The director concluded, “We had a great time.” Filming lasted just two and a half hours, according to festival organizers. But Depp didn’t seem to be in a rush to leave. “When we finished, he still wanted to chat even though there was a plane waiting for him,” recalls Zachariáš.
The Czech festival has supported the sometimes controversial actor, inviting Depp as guest of honor in 2021, where he presented two films produced by him, a musical documentary Crock of Gold: a few games with Shane MacGowan and Andrew Levitas’ Japanese drama Minamatain which he also starred.
In May, festival organizers revealed that Depp would appear in the trailer for this year’s festival. On Wednesday, the festival said in a statement that “the new trailer featuring Johnny Depp in the lead role will have its first screening…at the official opening of the 57th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.” He added, “It can also be viewed simultaneously on the festival’s online platform, KVIFF.TV, which, in addition to the trailer, will broadcast the entire opening ceremony. The trailer can therefore be seen not only on large plasma screens in Karlovy Vary, but also at home”, including on computers, tablets and mobile phones.
“Two years ago, Johnny Depp received an extremely warm welcome from the public and the fans, thanks to which he became one of our great supporters,” said Karlovy Vary festival executive director Kryštof Mucha. “And so he agreed to film a trailer even though we were limited by his busy schedule. The trailer turned out great and I’m confident that Johnny Depp will one day return to Vary in person.
The Karlovy Vary festival has a long tradition of featuring stars in trailers, which explore what artists who have received a lifetime honor from the festival’s Crystal Globe are actually doing with their statue. Former trailer stars include Mel Gibson, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich, Andy Garcia, Jude Law, Danny DeVito, Miloš Forman, and Casey Affleck.
“The idea of shooting festival trailers featuring distinctive representatives of world cinema was born 15 years ago,” the festival recently pointed out. “The creative minds behind these micro-stories showing their subjects’ connection to the festival are directors Ivan Zachariáš and Martin Krejčí.”
The 57th Karlovy Vary Film Festival runs until July 8.
Watch the new festival trailer, featuring Depp, below.
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