Johnny Depp's New Movie Revives A 25-Year Partnership

Johnny Depp has a new movie on the way that will reunite him with one of his long-time collaborators. This will be Depp’s first mainstream Hollywood project in more than eight years, owing to his high-profile legal battles with his ex-wife, Amber Heard. Since his defamation lawsuit victory in 2022, Depp starred in the French-language film Jeanne du Barry (2023) and lent his voice to the animated movie Johnny Puff: Secret Mission (2024), but fans have been eagerly awaiting his official Hollywood comeback.

Now, it seems that the big moment has finally arrived. Depp will star in the upcoming action thriller movie Day Drinker, directed by Marc Webb and written by Zach Dean. He plays the titular character, Kelly, who meets a bartender, Lorna (Madelyn Cline), on a private yacht. Kelly and Lorna unexpectedly find themselves connected in shocking ways as they are swept up into the world of organized crime. The figure behind the chaos is criminal Cara Lauzzana, played in Day Drinker by none other than Penélope Cruz.

Cruz is a massive star, so her position in Day Drinker is certainly something to be excited about. Adding even more to the anticipation is the fact that Cruz and Depp have previously collaborated on several film projects. Depp’s upcoming Hollywood comeback will mark the fourth movie that these two have appeared in together, the previous three being Blow (2001), Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), and Murder on the Orient Express (2017).

How Johnny Depp & Penélope Cruz’s Previous Collaborations Have Fared

The established working relationship between two of Day Drinker‘s stars is deeply encouraging. It’s a sign that chemistry, whether romantic or otherwise, will be no issue in the upcoming film. By the time Depp and Cruz’s new film hits theaters on March 25, 2027, it will have been 26 years since they first worked together on Blow, a moderate commercial success that earned $83 million at the global box office upon its release in 2001. Blow holds an 83% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, so it’s fairly clear that general viewers liked what they saw between Depp and Cruz.

The two actors appeared together in their next movie ten years later, in 2011’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. This was the fourth film in Depp’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, and Cruz joined the cast to play an antagonistic love interest to Captain Jack Sparrow. This movie proved less popular than its predecessors and holds only 32% critic and 54% audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes. However, On Stranger Tides was still a hit at the global box office, bringing in just over $1 billion.

Six years after they collaborated on the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean movie, Depp and Cruz again joined forces for 2017’s Murder on the Oriental Express. Once again, reception for this project was mixed, with 60% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes giving it favorable reviews, while 54% of general audiences gave it their stamp of approval. This was another commercial success, however. Murder on the Oriental Express made $353 million at the global box office.

Johnny Depp Is No Stranger To Regular Collaborators

Johnny Depp and Helena Bohnam Carter in Tim Burton's Sweeny Todd

It’s rather fitting that Depp’s big Hollywood return would be alongside a costar he has worked with several times before. After all, this actor is no stranger to regular collaborators. Depp is a go-to casting choice for director Tim Burton, who worked with him on Edward Scissorhands (1990), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Corpse Bride (2005), Sweeney Todd (2007), and Alice in Wonderland (2010). In four of these movies, Depp starred alongside actor Helena Bonham Carter, another frequent collaborator.

It’s always been evident that, when Depp gets on screen with certain individuals or under the care of certain creators, magic is going to happen. We can certainly hope that this is precisely what to expect with Cruz and Day Drinker. After a triumphant return to Hollywood, it will be exciting to see what old colleagues Depp teams up with next.