Johnny: From 'Pirates' to Peter Pan

June 17, 2004
This fall, 'Pirates of the Caribbean' swashbuckler JOHNNY DEPP takes on the role of Peter Pan creator J.M. BARRIE in the magical movie 'Finding Neverland.' Tonight on ET, we have an exclusive sneak peek at the trailer!

"It's a masterpiece of imagination," says Johnny about the seminal children's tale. "It's one of those rare, perfect things in the world that will always be with us, and, one has to wonder, with such a powerful story, where in the world did it come from?"

Inspired by events in the life of Scottish author James Matthew Barrie, 'Finding Neverland' begins with the premiere of Barrie's latest play in turn-of-the-century Edwardian England and its tepid reception. Bored with the themes of the day and in desperate need of inspiration, Barrie finds his muse in the unlikely form of four fatherless boys and their recently widowed mother, Sylvia (played by KATE WINSLET).

Up against the disapproval of his wife (RADHA MITCHELL) and the boys' grandmother (JULIE CHRISTIE), Barrie takes it upon himself to enchant the Llewelyn Davies boys with disguises, games, tricks and wild tales of kings and castles, cowboys and Indians, swashbucklers, pirates and fairies. Inspired by childhood fantasy, Barrie begins to write his timeless tale, Peter Pan, Or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, risking everything -- including loyal benefactor Charles Frohman's (DUSTIN HOFFMAN, who starred as STEVEN SPIELBERG's 'Hook') risky investment -- for the most important opening night in his life.

"From what I gather, Barrie was only truly comfortable around children," says Johnny. "I think he didn't know how to love or be loved in an adult way, and he was always looking for approval and maybe even for a mother figure. I created him from bits and pieces of observations from people who saw him as quite a dark figure -- yet mixed together with the flashes of light and happiness that surely led him to write Peter Pan."

Watch ET for more with Johnny Depp and 'Finding Neverland,' in theaters this October!

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The Sunday Times
Stars rally for Celtic legend's charity single
Mark MacAskill

The film actor Johnny Depp has agreed to appear in the video of the song, On the Road to Paradise, along with Shane MacGowan of the Pogues and Jim Kerr of Simple Minds.
A biographical film of Johnstone’s life will include interviews with the American film actor Robert Duvall, a close friend of Johnstone’s, Alex Ferguson, Bobby Charlton, Sven Goran Eriksson and Fran Healy, the Travis frontman.

Johnstone, the former Celtic and Scotland winger, regarded by many as the greatest footballer Scotland has produced, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2002.

No cure is known for the disease of the nervous system, which kills five people a day in the UK.

The single, which aims to raise money and awareness of the condition, is expected to become a bestselling record because of Celtic’s worldwide support. The double A-side features Johnstone in a duet with Kerr, covering the Ewan MacColl classic, Dirty Old Town.

The third song on the CD, entitled Lord of the Wing, is performed by John McLaughlin, the Scots songwriter who has written lyrics for Westlife and formed the boy band Busted.

All profits will go towards the Jimmy Johnstone motor neurone disease tribute fund, which helps sufferers of the disease in Scotland, the Children’s Hospice Association Scotland and Radio Lollipop, a charity that provides entertainment for children in hospital.

The idea for the single came after Kerr and Johnstone performed an impromptu version of Dirty Old Town during shooting for the film of Johnstone’s life, which was premiered in Glasgow last month.

Depp, who is to play Willy Wonka in a new film of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory agreed to take part in the video after being asked by MacGowan while the pair were filming The Libertine, a period drama, in Gloucestershire. MacGowan and Johnstone have been friends since they met last year.

"The single wasn’t really planned," said Johnstone. "Jim and I just recorded a couple of takes but he thought it was so good that we should release it. I’m really pleased with the calibre of people who have got involved, they’re all really busy, it was great of them to spare the time."

Kerr said: "I’m a huge Celtic fan. I watched Jimmy as a boy and if you’d told me I’d end up singing with him, the chances are I’d have had you carted off.

"He’s obviously a man of many talents because he’s a great, great singer and it was a real pleasure. He’s a hero and probably the best footballer this country has ever produced."

MacGowan said: "I wrote the song in the studio within a few minutes and we recorded it the same day. Jimmy has been a hero to me since I was young and we got on very well when we first met last year; I was very pleased to get involved."

Jamie Doran, who directed the biopic, said: "I used to watch him as a boy and I was mesmerised. I was shocked about the news of his affliction and thought, ‘Let’s do something about it.’ It’s been great to be in a position to do something for your childhood hero."

Motor neurone disease affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord along which the brain sends instructions in the form of electrical impulses to the muscles. Its cause is not known.

Degeneration of the nerve cells leads to weakness and wasting of muscles. This generally occurs in arms or legs but can affect muscles in the face and throat, causing problems with speech.


Source: The Sunday Times

grazie per le notiziole... BaciDepp vvtrb!!!

squitt.....................