Depp Considers becoming a “Tourist”

Johnny Depp looks ready for some international intrigue here.

Variety reports that Johnny Depp is in talks to join the cast of “The Tourist.” Angelina Jolie is set to star.

This is a movie where you need a scorecard to keep track of all the comings and goings. Here’s the rundown:

Once upon a time there was a French thriller called “Anthony Zimmer.” An English language remake was planned.

Tom Cruise was set to star in the remake, now called “The Tourist.” In it Cruise would play an Interpol agent who draws an American tourist into a web of intrigue while attempting to locate a criminal who was once her lover. Bharat Nalluri was set to direct. Charlize Theron was thinking of joining the cast.

Cruise dropped out to make “Wichita,” now called “Knight and Day,” with Cameron Diaz.

Angelina Jolie was interested, though, so the script was rejiggered to be about a female interpol agent who drags an American tourist into her troubles while searching for a criminal/ex-lover. That bumped Theron out of the picture; Nalluri also got kicked to the curb. Then Sam Worthington was supposed to co-star, and just a week or two ago, Florian von Donnersmarck was announced as a new director.

Now Worthington and von Donnersmarck have left the project, citing “creative differences.”

Which leads us to today’s revision, the news about Depp’s interest. On the director front, top of the list names are surfacing, for example Alfonso Cuaron.

The pairing of Depp and Jolie would seem like box office gold, but more importantly, I think Depp would be a good foil for Jolie. The interesting thing about Depp signing on is that it must mean that “Pirates of the Caribbean 4″ and “The Lone Ranger,” projects Depp has planned at Disney, must be a long way away from happening.

“The Tourist” is supposed to start filming in February. We’ll see. Stay tuned for more changes to this one.