‘Jeanne du Barry’ director Maiwenn says ‘it’s difficult’ to shoot with Johnny Depp, claims crew was ‘afraid’ of actor

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: French director/writer/actor Maiwenn has openly addressed her experience directing Hollywood star Johnny Depp in the medieval drama 'Jeanne du Barry'.

She has addressed in detail the challenges she encountered because of the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' star's meddling with the script, tardiness, and general presence on set.

Maiwenn revealed in an interview with The Independent that Depp "wouldn't do what the script demanded", that he wanted to be seen as an icon "all the time", and that the crew was "afraid" of him while they were filming.

Maiwenn claims 'Jeanne du Barry' crew was 'afraid' of Johnny Depp

'Jeanne du Barry,' which made its theatrical debut at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, will formally release on May 2, 2024.

Ahead of its release, Maiwenn explored the difficulties of working with Depp, who plays Louis XV in the film that caused a lot of controversy at the Cannes Film Festival.

Maiwenn didn't hold back in her interview and discussed the difficulties of working with Depp and how members of the cast and crew weren't sure what to anticipate from him.

"I have to be honest. It’s difficult to shoot with him. All the crew was scared because he has a different kind of humor and we didn’t know if he was going to be on time, or if he was going to be OK to say his lines," Maiwenn told the Independent.

She continued: "I mean, even if he was there on set, on time, the crew were afraid of him. There’s been no normal relationship since the shoot."

"Johnny for me is a huge genius but he’s in another world. I cannot communicate with him."

Maiwenn and Johnny Depp reportedly had tense working relationship

Maiwenn—who has a reputation for taking risks with her artistic decisions—emphasized the particular difficulties she had while working on the project.

She claimed that Depp regularly strayed from the original script and brought his own ideas to the set, which occasionally conflicted with the movie's intended course.

Maiwenn remarked, "Johnny came with a new version of the script and I wasn’t happy with it. It didn’t work... So I shot it without making the changes he wanted… which he took as an insult."

Although Maiwenn stated she has no regrets about casting 'canceled' Johnny Depp in her historical costume play 'Jeanne du Barry,' she and Depp's relationship on-set often grew contested.

Maiwenn revealed that Depp often neglected to reply to her texts and often arrived late to the shoot. There were also times when she had to omit some of Depp's lines since he was unable to practice or polish his accent.

"There was no time for rehearsals. I asked for time but, for whatever reason, he wasn’t available... He had a coach, but he couldn’t work with her beforehand. So. OK. I discovered his accent wasn’t perfect," she said.

Maiwenn added: "So a few times I decided to cut his lines. But that also happened with the French actors. It happens!"

The filmmaker acknowledged that their tense relationship on set helped her create a more real relationship between her character and Depp's, but she also admitted that their relationship was very different off-set.

"Before the shoot, me and Johnny were texting and talking on the phone. It was completely simple and natural," she said.