The official trailer for Three-time Academy Award nominee Johnny Depp will take on the role of W. Eugene Smith, whose "photographic essays" in Life magazine covered subjects from World War 2 to Welsh mining communities, and brought international recognition. Based on the book of the same name by Aileen Mioko Smith and Eugene Smith, the plot centers on the photographer's battle to shed light on the devastating effects of mercury poisoning in coastal Japanese communities caused by industrial pollution linked to the Chisso chemical company.
Once one of Hollywood's most valuable stars, Johnny Depp starred in some of silver screen's most bankable franchises. From controversies surrounding his marriage to Amber Heard, which involved allegations of domestic abuse, defamation lawsuits and, ultimately, Depp's departure from the Fantastic Beasts franchise where he played the role of Gellert Grindelwald.
Now, the actor will helm a much smaller project in Minamata, directed by Andrew Levitas. Based on a true story, the trailer released by Samuel Goldwyn Films shows Depp as W. Eugene Smith in Japan's one-industry city of Minamata, Kumamoto Prefecture, documenting the life of its people and their struggle to fight against a corporation with the power, money and means to cover up 15 years' worth of dumping toxic waste into water supplies. The cast also includes Akiko Iwase, Katherine Jenkins and Bill Nighy. The full trailer can be viewed below:
The release of the feature has gone through a tumultuous journey of its own. Initially released at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2020, it wasn't until October 2020 that MGM, under the relaunched American International Pictures, acquired the distribution rights for the movie in the US. However, the film languished for over a year, partially due to the effects of coronavirus pandemic affecting cinemas, and partially due to Depp's unfavorable public image. In December 2021, the US distribution rights were eventually bought from MGM, and the feature is now set for a December 15 release.
It is undoubtedly a difficult period of the calendar to release such a movie, especially with the likes of much larger titles like Spider-Man: No Way Home and The Matrix: Resurrections dominating online chatter and opening in the same week. Once upon a time, however, an independent, gritty feature like Minamata would have possibly garnered attention for awards season. Alongside this, its topical subject matter of environmental and corporate responsibility places it in the same ballpark as recent critically-acclaimed titles such as Todd Haynes' Dark Waters. Unfortunately, despite an important story to tell, Minamata may fail to turn many heads this holiday season.
Source: Samuel Goldwyn Films
