Movies Johnny Depp transforms into King Louis XV in Jeanne du Barry first look The actor will play the controversial King of France in his first feature film since his defamation trial against Amber Heard. By Jessica Wang Jessica Wang Jessica is a staff writer at Entertainment Weekly, where she covers TV, movies, and pop culture. Her work has appeared in Bustle, NYLON, Cosmopolitan, InStyle, and more. She lives in California with her dog. EW's editorial guidelines Published on August 10, 2022 05:32PM EDT Johnny Depp trades in a courtroom for a palace in the upcoming historical film, Jeanne du Barry. France's Why Not Productions released a first-look image of Depp as King Louis XV, the former King of France whose ineffective rule led to the decline of royal authority and the subsequent French Revolution in 1789. The film will tell the story of King Louis XV's last royal mistress, Jeanne du Barry, who was born the illegitimate daughter of an impoverished seamstress and climbed the social hierarchy to become the king's lover. Johnny Depp in 'Jeanne du Barry'. Why Not Productions The historical romance marks Depp's first feature film role since his defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard, which concluded in June after six weeks of media mayhem. The jury found that Heard defamed Depp when she wrote her 2018 Washington Post op-ed, in which she identified herself as a "public figure representing domestic abuse." Heard has since filed a motion to appeal the verdict, claiming court errors "prevented a just and fair verdict consistent with the First Amendment." Production on Jeanne du Barry began in France about a month after the trial came to a close, according to Deadline. Shooting locations spanned Paris and the Île-de-France region, including Versailles. French filmmaker Maïwenn will both direct and star in the project as the title mistress. The film is also set to star Benjamin Lavernhe, Pierre Richard, Melvil Poupaud, Noémie Lvovsky, Pascal Greggory, and India Hair. Jeanne du Barry will be available to stream on Netflix France following its theatrical release, the date of which has not yet been announced. Related content: Christina Ricci says Johnny Depp explained to her what being gay is when she was 9 Biggest bombshells in unsealed Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard court docs: Erectile dysfunction, nude photos, and Marilyn Manson Kate Moss speaks out about testifying in Johnny Depp's defamation trial: 'I know the truth'