9 Years After Fantastic Beasts, Johnny Depp Officially Returns to the Supernatural Genre in 2027

Johnny Depp is back in Hollywood, and this time, he is coming into eerie territory. The actor was an industry pariah for a few years after his trial with ex-wife Amber Heard, and now he is finally getting his big Hollywood comeback with Day Drinker. The film got its first trailer this week, and it looks like Depp will be going the supernatural route again.

While the actual plot is still under wraps, only the synopsis indicates that it is set in the criminal underbelly. However, the trailer indicates a supernatural element in the movie and Depp’s character possibly being immortal or atleast magical in some way. This will be the first time he is coming to this genre after Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald.

Day Drinker Brings Johnny Depp Back to the Supernatural Genre

Johnny Depp in Day Drinker | Credits: Lionsgate

Directed by Marc Webb, who is known for 500 Days of Summer and The Amazing Spider-Man films, Day Drinker follows a private yacht bartender, played by Madelyne Cline, who encounters an unsettling guest. According to the official logline (via Variety), the two soon find themselves entangled with a criminal figure played by Penélope Cruz, and connected in ways neither of them expects.

While the plot does not indicate a clear picture of the film being in the supernatural genre, the trailer has plenty of imagery that says otherwise. Depp appears with a scraggly beard and unnervingly pale, eerie eyes, delivering lines like “My story, perhaps it’s a tale of revenge, or perhaps something worse. What if all this is a ghost story?”

There are speculations that Depp could either be playing a ghost or a vampire, indicating him possibly being immortal. Depp mentions that he has been doing ‘this for a long time,’ and the fact that his character is generally mysterious has fueled these speculations.

Beyond Depp, there are other references like the choice of weapons, a dramatically fashioned axe, and a possible supernatural connection to Penélope Cruz. There is also a haunting scene of a dead woman drifting into the sea, hinting at the tragedy driving Depp’s character toward vengeance.

Depp is Finally Getting a Proper Comeback After Fantastic Beasts Fiasco

Johnny Depp in Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald | Credits: Warner Bros.

If confirmed, Day Drinker will be the second supernatural film Johnny Depp will be a part of in the near future. This year, he will be seen as Ebenezer Scrooge in Ti West’s A Christmas Carol adaptation, Ebenezer. The route to Depp returning to the genre is long and complex, and it all goes back to the Fantastic Beasts franchise.

Depp joined the franchise with a cameo in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, where Colin Farrell’s character is transformed into Gellert Grindelwald. He had a more prominent role in the sequel, Crimes of Grindelwald. The franchise itself was centered on his character and Dumbledore’s feud years before the events of Harry Potter.

Everything changed in November 2020, when Depp lost a libel case he had filed against the British tabloid The Sun over a 2018 article that called him a ‘wife beater.’ The claims stemmed from allegations of domestic violence made by his ex-wife, actress Amber Heard. Warner Bros. moved quickly and let go of Depp, replacing him with Mads Mikkelsen (via THR).

The fallout extended far beyond one franchise. In the years that followed, Depp largely disappeared from major studio productions, appearing instead in smaller independent and international films while his defamation case against Heard played out in a separate and highly publicized 2022 trial in Virginia.

Now, he is finally back with two consecutive biggies, Day Drinker and Ebenezer. After the trial came in his favor, it seems like Hollywood studios are finally ready to back the star. There is also news that Depp might return to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, after its future hung in the balance following his controversy.

Are you excited for Day Drinker? Comment below.

Day Drinker is scheduled to release on March 27, 2026.