Johnny Depp to Star as Lead in Ridley Scott’s New Series Based on “Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”
Johnny Depp is getting ready to play a very different kind of role, Mr. Hyde. The famous actor has joined a new graphic novel project called “Hyde,” which is based on the classic story “Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by Robert Louis Stevenson.
The project comes from Ridley Scott and the production company Mechanical Cake. According to the official announcement, Depp, Scott, and Mechanical Cake will all share ownership of the project. The first part of the story will be released this Halloween as a graphic novel series.
The story of “Hyde” will focus on what happens after Mr. Hyde wins against Dr. Jekyll. Instead of being hidden inside Jekyll, Hyde is now in full control and lives freely in the dark sewers of London. Using a mysterious serum, he can even turn other people into Hydes like himself. The character in the book will look like Johnny Depp, and he will also help shape the character’s personality and the overall story.
In a statement shared with the press, Depp said: “To build within the world of Robert Louis Stevenson’s masterful characters and to be welcomed into the vision of Ridley Scott… and inexplicably having the opportunity to explore, it’s surprising to me. And hopefully surprising to him. It’s insane and beautiful to receive that trust from Ridley. A master.”
The “Hyde” series was created by Jesse Negron, who is the CEO of Mechanical Cake. He wrote the story with Joe Matsumoto. Dave Elliott is working as the editor, while Gary Erskine and Chris Weston are the main artists. The project is being supervised by several people from both Scott Free and Mechanical Cake, including Tom Moran, Jason Forman, and Tom Sanders.
Negron described the project as something different and exciting. He said: “This is an incredible opportunity to build a studio-level project that goes directly from the creators to the audience, with no filters in between. ‘Hyde,’ like everything Mechanical Cake does, is a bit off the rails, in a good way.”
Ridley Scott himself approved of the idea quickly. The creators revealed that when Scott saw the idea and a sample poster, he immediately said: “It’s a no-brainer!”
Fans will get an early look at “Hyde” during San Diego Comic-Con. A panel called “‘Hyde’: When the Worlds of Graphic Novels and Movies Collide” will be held in Hall H. There, Negron and the rest of the team will talk about how movie and graphic novel creators are working together on this project.
Mechanical Cake and Ridley Scott’s company are also working on two other graphic novel projects. One is a sci-fi crime story called “Modville,” and the other is a Norse war story named “Nick.”
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!
