Johnny Depp Looks Like Ozzy Osbourne to Fans, and Now They Want Him in the Biopic

An Ozzy Osbourne biopic has been talked about for years, and the big question has always been who could play the Prince of Darkness. The film was officially confirmed in 2020, with the promise that it would be “a lot more real” than other biopics before it. That promise has kept casting speculation alive ever since, including the idea of Johnny Depp as Ozzy Osbourne.

Ozzy himself has weighed in on that exact idea. More than a decade earlier, while promoting his autobiography ‘I Am Ozzy’, he said he’d like Depp to play him in a movie of the book. By 2022, his answer had changed, and he told Consequence, “I don’t want to have anyone like Johnny Depp act as me.” He said he’d rather have someone relatively unknown.

Fans say Johnny Depp is looking a lot like Ozzy Osbourne They say he should play him in a biopic https://t.co/B87zZwivgm
— CoveredGeekly (@CoveredGeekly) November 15, 2026

Now the Depp idea is back. Photos of Depp from a radio interview with Heart have gone around, showing him with long dark hair and round tinted glasses, and fans say he’s looking a lot like Ozzy. Side by side with a shot of the late rocker in similar glasses and long dark hair, the comparison is easy to see, and some fans say he should play Ozzy in a biopic.

The timing helps. Depp is out promoting ‘Ebenezer’, and at 63 he is back on the big screen as the titular character in the dark fantasy adaptation of Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’. That means he’s doing the kind of press that puts his face in front of cameras all week.

The idea isn’t new. A 2003 report said Depp was so fascinated by Ozzy that he was desperate to play the rocker in a biopic. Ozzy’s passing hasn’t changed the connection, as the heavy metal singer died at age 76, less than 3 weeks after his final concert.

Depp paid tribute in person. He appeared on stage at Alice Cooper’s July 25 gig in London to perform the Black Sabbath song ‘Paranoid’. That gesture suggests Ozzy’s earlier comment didn’t leave hard feelings.

Ozzy’s objection also wasn’t a personal swipe. On his SiriusXM radio show, he had positive things to say about Depp’s emergence as a touring musician with The Hollywood Vampires. He said few people can pull off both music and acting, and that Depp is pretty good at doing both.

The project has a long paper trail. Variety broke the news in 2021, reporting that the movie would be produced by Sony Pictures and Polygram Entertainment, with a screenplay by Lee Hall, known for ‘Rocketman’. More recently, Jack Osbourne admitted the script for the Ozzy movie is being rewritten. Earlier reports noted that no casting announcements had been made.

That hasn’t stopped fans and oddsmakers from guessing. One betting site listed Yungblud as the 11/10 favourite, just ahead of Depp at 7/4, with Joaquin Phoenix at 2/1. Part of Yungblud’s appeal is that his cover of ‘Changes’ during Ozzy’s last show has been heralded as incredible. None of this is official, and the odds are only a snapshot of fan interest.

For Depp, the Ozzy chatter lands at an interesting point in his career. ‘Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol’ is scheduled to premiere on November 13. It’s his first live-action movie role since 2023 and his first major return to Hollywood since two public trials involving his ex-wife.

He’s also been speaking about his supporters. Depp says he owes the fans who supported him “through thick and thin.” If fans keep campaigning, a role as one of rock’s most famous frontmen would be a very different kind of comeback.