After being greeted with a seven-minute standing ovation on opening evening of the Cannes Film Festival, Johnny Depp’s comeback film “Jeanne du Barry,” directed by Maiwenn, has charmed French audiences after debuting in cinemas.
The costume drama, which stars Depp because the French King Louis XV and marks his first main position in three years, has been having a robust run on the French B.O., proving that the controversial star continues to be bankable. At least in France.
The movie was extensively launched by Le Pacte on 650 screens and has grossed practically $4.1 million from greater than 550,000 tickets bought in two weeks, based on Comscore France. Currently taking part in throughout 800 screens, the movie obtained combined critiques in Cannes, however nonetheless has the potential of promoting as much as 850,000 tickets (an estimated $6.4 million), based on Eric Marti at Comscore France.
“‘Jeanne du Barry’ is doing the job, it’s a well polished film with good production values and it attracts a very large public,” Marti says, including that “Johnny Depp is still popular in France. If he was ‘canceled,’ the film would probably be at 150,000 tickets sold.”
French audiences have at all times been enamored with Depp, who lived within the nation for a few years with Vanessa Paradis, a well-known French actor and singer with whom he had two youngsters, together with Lily-Rose Depp. Depp’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise and his different work has additionally been massively profitable in France. During his three-year hiatus, Depp was honored at festivals in Europe, notably at San Sebastian and Deauville. Even extra telling than the vital recognition, Depp was additionally retained as Dior’s ambassador for the world advert marketing campaign of his Sauvage perfume since 2015, and was provided a large $20 million deal to resume his contract.
Marti factors out the efficiency of “‘Jeanne du Barry’ in France was respectable, particularly considering that the B.O. dropped by one-third over the last week due to the lack of new U.S. blockbuster as neither ‘Fast X’ nor ‘The Little Mermaid’ have proven to be smash hits in France so far.” But “Spider-Man : Across The Spider-Verse” might drive an upward pattern, having bought 118 128 tickets in a day on May 31.
Le Pacte’s boss Jean Labadie, a veteran French producer-distributor who was one of many movie’s first backers together with the gross sales banner Goodfellas (previously Wild Bunch International), is much more enthusiastic than Marti, saying that “Jeanne du Barry” might garner as much as a million admissions in French theaters.
“The fact that it world premiered on opening night at Cannes is a huge bonus in terms of exposure, and if you add that to the fact that it’s led by two glamorous stars – Maiween and Johnny Depp — it’s checks all the boxes, on top of being championed by all cinema chains across the country,” says Labadi. Another optimistic component, Labadi says, is that “Jeanne du Barry” is performing barely higher in multiplexes than in arthouse cinemas, and is working effectively outdoors of Paris.
“Jeanne du Barry” stars Maiwenn as Jeanne Vaubernier, a working class lady in 18th century France who rises the social ranks and turns into King Louis XV’s lover. Her working class roots make her a social pariah on the Versailles Palace. The film’s acclaimed supporting solid consists of Benjamin Lavernhe, Pierre Richard and Melvil Poupaud.
Over the final three years, Depp made headlines for his ongoing authorized battles with ex-wife Amber Heard which culminated in a defamation trial gained by Depp in December.
The movie’s promotion doesn’t seem to have been negatively impacted by a scandal involving Maiween who admitted to spitting on Edwy Plenel, the editor-in-chief of Mediapart journal, whereas being interviewed on the speak present Quotidien on the eve of the movie’s premiere. Like Depp, Maiween can be a preferred determine in France. Her 2011 movie “Polisse” gained the jury prize at Cannes and bought over 2.3 million admissions, whereas her 2015 movie “Mon Roi” gained greatest actress for Emmanuelle Bercot and bought over 745, 483 admissions. Her earlier movie “DNA” had its theatrical run reduce brief in 2020 due to the closures of cinemas through the pandemic.
Goodfellas hasn’t but closed a U.S. deal on “Jeanne du Barry” nevertheless it’s believed to be bought in lots of main territories. Le Pacte and Goodfellas helped finance “Jeanne du Barry” with the manufacturing home Why Not, in addition to Netflix, which pre-bought second window rights for France solely, French pubcaster France Televisions and Red Sea Film Foundation. The movie was budgeted within the $22 million vary and shot on location in France, together with at Versailles.
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