While Johnny Depp may be best known to most Disney fans as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, his association with Disney will soon be even greater. Depp’s production company, Infinitum Nihil, will be teaming up with Disney on two upcoming films, The Night Stalker and a film based on Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride. Depp will produce the two films with his Infinitum Nihil partner Christi Dembrowski, and he is expected to star in both films.
The Night Stalker is a feature film remake of the 70’s TV movie and series of the same name. The film will center on tabloid reporter Carl Kolchak, originally played by Darren McGavin, whose investigations lead to encounters with vampires, aliens, zombies, and werewolves. Depp will presumably portray Kolchak, and David Kennedy will serve as the executive producer.
The upcoming Paul Revere film will focus on Revere himself and the 24-hour period in which he took his historic Midnight Ride, becoming a legendary player in the American Revolutionary War. Batman Forever writers Lee and Janet Batchler will write the film’s screenplay, and Jon Brown and Infinitum Nihil’s Margaret French-Isaac will serve as executive producers.
These upcoming films look to be successful, as Depp’s involvement with Disney has recently proved to be very profitable. The latest installment of the Pirates franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, recently passed the $1 billion mark at the global box office. This was Depp’s third film with Disney to earn this distinction, the other two being Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and Alice in Wonderland. Depp’s next Disney film, the Gore Verbinski-directed The Lone Ranger with Armie Hammer, is currently set to debut in December 2012.
