First look at Johnny Depp as Whitey Bulger in Scott Cooper’s Black Mass

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Johnny Depp has had a rough go of it the last few years with multiple flops like THE LONE RANGER, DARK SHADOWS, and TRANSCENDENCE, but Depp still manages to secure projects left and right. Hopefully, some of his upcoming projects will restore the luster to Depp’s acting talent. One of those is the currently filming BLACK MASS.

Portraying the controversial criminal James “Whitey” Bulger, Depp will undergo make-up and prosthesis to appear as Bulger through his years of hiding from the FBI. This first look shows Depp in what appears to be the late 1990s or early 2000s, leading to his capture and eventual incarceration for 19 murders. The film, BLACK MASS, is based on the book of the same name that tracks the hunt for Bulger from the perspective of the FBI. Joel Edgerton plays the agent on the hunt for Bulger. The rest of the cast features Jesse Plemons, Guy Pearce, and Dakota Johnson.

Depp has played criminals before in movies like Ted Demme‘s BLOW and Michael Mann‘s PUBLIC ENEMIES as well as in films about organized crime like DONNIE BRASCO, but he says BLACK MASS is different.

“He’s a fascinating character. It’s not like anything I’ve done before, on that level. I’m very excited to slide into that skin for a little bit.”

It will take some convincing that Depp is not just taking another role like the countless others he has played, but the fact that this is not a Tim Burton film or an entry in the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN franchise instills some hope that this may be something good to look forward to. But, we thought the same thing about TRANSCENDENCE.

BLACK MASS will hit theaters October 2015.