Johnny Depp ‘s chameleon-like talent to effectively transform himself in any given role is again punctuated in the laugh-out-loud movie “Mortdecai” along with a stellar cast that includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Ewan McGregor, Paul Bettany, Olivia Munn and Jeff Goldblum.
Based on the charismatic anti-hero popular trilogy by Kyril Bonfiglioli – (“Don’t Point That Thing at Me,” “Something Nasty in the Woodshed” and “After You with the Pistol”), Charlie Mortdecai is a professional bon vivant and occasional art dealer perpetually at the end of his financial rope. In “Mortdecai,” Charlie charms, schemes and blunders his way in and out of hilariously compromising situations as he attempts to beat out an array of international evildoers on the trail of a priceless Goya masterpiece that could also be the key to claiming missing Nazi millions.
Depp had already read and fallen in love with Bonfiglioli’s novels when the script found its way to him. “I’d read them years before and they made me laugh out loud,” says Depp. “They are irreverent and insane in a way I thought would translate well to the screen.”
Mortdecai books features beautiful people in beautiful clothes, bantering wittily and doing outrageous things.
“The moustache is a major character in this movie,” says Academy Award®-winning make-up designer Joel Harlow, Johnny Depp’s personal make-up artist since their first collaboration on Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. “It had its own trailer and traveled with an entourage. If the Charlie Mortdecai character didn’t have a moustache, he wouldn’t be the Mortdecai character,” declares Harlow. “The moustache is such a part of the character and the way Johnny uses it is comedy gold.”
Although Mortdecai is a comedy, it is packed with action sequences, as Jock constantly saves Charlie from outlandish mishaps. Irlam coordinated a motorbike and sidecar careening through Moscow, an unforgettable sword fight and a massive explosion sequence featuring virtually all of the key cast members.
Laugh-out-loud adventure starts January 22 when “Mortdecai” opens in theatres nationwide.
