Johnny Depp, despite legal troubles and accusations of entitlement and lateness on the Pirates Of The Caribbean set marring his reputation somewhat, still doesn’t have trouble getting work. He’s set to star in King Of The Jungle, a dark comedy based on the true story of John McAfee, creator of the antivirus software.
The film will be based on a Wired article by Joshua Davis, telling the true story of rogue tech magnate McAfee who cashed in his fortune and left civilisation for the jungle in Belize. There begins a strange life, described as Colonel Kurtz-esque, of paranoia, guns, murder and madness.
The film will be directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (Crazy Stupid Love, I Love You Phillip Morris) and written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (Man On The Moon, American Crime Story).
This sounds like a tremendous true story to adapt, though perhaps the casting of Depp leads to it being less of a real life tale of the effects of the pressure-cooker tech world and more of a fun romp á la The Rum Diary. Despite Depp being praised for his chameleon qualities in the past, many of his recent roles have all contained an outlandish, kooky vibe. Perhaps this can be a little different, and turn into something great.
#Peace.Love.KingOfTheJungle
