Johnny Depp to Be the Great and Powerful Oz

Johnny Depp is no stranger to portraying iconic literary figures, and his next role is going to put him at the end of the yellow brick road. Depp is in talks to star in Oz the Great and Powerful after the studio's last choice for the part, Robert Downey Jr., dropped out.

Depp will play Oz in the prequel, which follows the regular man who becomes a wizard (the wonderful wizard) after dropping in on the magical land visited by Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Can you see Depp as the man behind the curtain - and do you think he's a better choice than Downey?

Johnny Depp and Isla Fisher at the Rango LA Premiere

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Johnny and Isla Make a Hot Duo at the Rango Premiere

Johnny Depp and Isla Fisher were side by side at the LA premiere of Rango last night. The duo showed off their animated movie after promoting together over the weekend at a press junket, where Johnny talked about his love for making kids' movies. It was rumoured that Johnny would replace Robert Downey Jr. in Oz the Great and Powerful, but now it's reported he's passed on the role and the next candidate could be James Franco. Isla, in a bright blue strapless dress, had the night off from mum duty for the event, though judging from the trailer, little Olive probably would have enjoyed the show.

Keep reading for more photos!

Video: Johnny Depp Has Sweet Words For Penélope Cruz

Penélope Cruz received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today, as the sexy men in her life looked on. Penélope's husband Javier Bardem came out to support his gorgeous wife, while her Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides co-star Johnny Depp took to the podium to say a few sweet, funny words about the actress. Hear Johnny's speech!

Even Johnny Depp Didn't Understand the Pirates Sequels

Johnny Depp donned his full Jack Sparrow gear to cover this week's issue of Entertainment Weekly. He is, of course, promoting Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides ahead of the film's release later this month. Fans of the franchise were a bit disenchanted with the most recent Pirates films, and Depp admits that Dead Man's Chest and At World's End were convoluted and confusing - but he also explains why the newest sequel will be different (and much easier to digest):

• On why Pirates 2 and 3 didn't do as well as the original: "It was plot-driven and complicated. I remember talking to [Gore Verbinski, director of the first three films] at certain points during production of 2 or 3 and saying, 'I don’t really know what this means.' He said, 'Neither do I, but let’s just shoot it.' This guy is this guy’s dad, and this guy was in love with this broad. It was like, 'What?'"


• On having more say in the script this time around: "With this one, in terms of story, my involvement was a little more just because I felt if we were going to do a 4, that more than anything we owed the audience a fresh start, without all the complicated mathematics of 1 colliding with 2 and 2 colliding with 3. I felt it was very important to eliminate as many complications as possible."


• On his mission for the fourth film: "Let’s give them something character-driven. Something fun and irreverent. Hoops of fire and whatnot. New blood, as it were."

ARTS, BRIEFLY; More Pirates Ahoy For Johnny Depp

Walt Disney Company's film division says Johnny Depp will star in fourth installment of its Pirates of the Caribbean franchise; photo

‘The Tourist’ Stars Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp - Review

Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp star in a thriller set in Europe, where an American visitor falls in with a gorgeous woman of questionable motives.

Josh Brolin Really, Really Likes Johnny Depp, Says 'Thank God He Exists'

Movie star Josh Brolin feels blessed to be friends with Johnny Depp because the "Pirates Of The Caribbean" star is the best actor alive. The star and Depp almost fell out when both were up for a ...

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Johnny Depp Surprises School Children As Capt. Jack

Johnny Depp thrilled children at a London school on Wednesday - by making an unannounced visit, dressed as his "Pirates of the Caribbean" character. The star is currently in the U.K. capital filmi...

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Johnny Depp, Lady Gaga Head Up EW's Power List

When Entertainment Weekly published its first Power List in November 1990, Lady Gaga (No. 2) was 4 years old and Ben Stiller (No. 11) was doing Eddie Munster impersonations on MTV. Times change, an...

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Johnny Depp Fans 'Rugby Tackled' On 'Pirates' Set

Two men dressed as pirates have been apprehended by Johnny Depp's security guards after they attempted to sneak into the actor's movie trailer. The Hollywood star is currently in London filming s...

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Keith Richards Thought Johnny Depp Was A 'Dope Dealer'

Keith Richards had no idea who Johnny Depp was when they first met at the Rolling Stones star's house - he assumed the actor was one of his son's "dope dealer" friends. Depp has cited the guitari...

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Johnny Depp's Pinstripe Suit, Scarves & Unkempt Hair - Hot Or Not?

We spotted Johnny Depp on the red carpet at the world premiere of "The Tourist" at the Ziegfield Theater in New York City yesterday. What do you think of his ensemble?


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Johnny Depp Pleads For '21 Jump Street' Role

Johnny Depp is urging Jonah Hill to cast him in the new version of 21 Jump Street - because the Hollywood star is eager to appear in the reboot of his 1980s TV series. Hill has signed up to star ...

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Johnny Depp Refuses To Carry A Cell Phone

Johnny Depp's friends, family and business associates have to keep in contact with the Hollywood actor by email because he doesn't own a cell phone. The Tourist star refuses to carry a portable te...

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