Johnny Depp to Produce First English-Language Adaptation of ‘The Master and Margarita’ as Hollywood Comeback Accelerates

Johnny Depp’s Hollywood resurgence is moving full steam ahead as the actor and filmmaker is set to produce the first-ever English-language film adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov’s literary masterpiece The Master and Margarita. Announced at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah, the project highlights Depp’s growing slate of ambitious international ventures—and possibly marks one of the most daring creative undertakings of his career.

A Landmark Adaptation of a Literary Giant

Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita, written between 1928 and 1940 and published posthumously, is widely regarded as one of the most influential novels of the 20th century. Despite numerous international adaptations across film, television, and theatre, the novel has never been adapted for the big screen in English. Past attempts by legends such as Federico Fellini, Roman Polanski, Terry Gilliam, and Baz Luhrmann never materialized—making Johnny Depp’s version a historic first.

The film will be produced by Depp’s IN.2 Film alongside producers Svetlana Dali, Grace Loh, Stephen Deuters and Stephen Malit, in collaboration with Tribune Pictures. Production is scheduled to begin in late 2026, though the project currently has no director attached. While Depp is confirmed as producer, industry chatter suggests he may also take a starring role—though no casting announcements have been made.

Mikhail Bulgakov’s literary masterpiece, The Master and Margarita

A Story of Devils, Artists, Rebellion—and a Talking Cat

The novel’s fantastical narrative leaps between 1930s Moscow and ancient Jerusalem during the era of Pontius Pilate. It follows the devil—accompanied by his iconic talking cat, Behemoth—as he stirs chaos among the corrupt elite. Another storyline centers on a tormented writer known as the Master and his devoted lover Margarita, whose supernatural journey to save him becomes a defiant exploration of love, art, censorship and good versus evil.

Producers describe the adaptation as “a darkly comic, wildly imaginative tale of spiritual rebellion and artistic freedom,” underscoring the story’s continued relevance in the modern world.

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Legal Drama Behind the Scenes

Interestingly, the project emerges amid a legal battle involving producers Dali and Loh, who assert exclusive ownership of the novel’s adaptation rights. Their dispute with Luminosity Pictures stems from a recent Russian-language adaptation by director Michael Lockshin, which became a major success in Russia and parts of Europe but has not yet reached U.S. or U.K. markets.

Depp’s Career Rebuild Gains Momentum

Following years of legal controversies and his high-profile trial involving ex-wife Amber Heard, Depp is steadily rebuilding his presence in mainstream cinema. In addition to The Master and Margarita, he is in final talks to play Ebenezer Scrooge in Paramount’s upcoming dark adaptation of A Christmas Carol and is set to star alongside Penélope Cruz in Lionsgate’s thriller Day Drinker. These mark his first major studio projects since 2018’s Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.

With a beloved literary classic, an A-list comeback narrative and international intrigue, The Master and Margarita is shaping up to be one of Johnny Depp’s most closely watched projects yet.