When Johnny Depp was sorting out his schedule earlier this year, he decided to make Wally Pfister’s Transcendence, then head to Black Mass, before going to the Pirates Of The Caribbean 5 set next January. However it now appears he has a gap in that list, as he’s currently stepped away from Black Mass over a salary dispute, according to Deadline.
Depp had been due to receive his usual $20 million asking price for the Whitey Bulger gangster biopic. However the project sold softly at Cannes, which has caused the producers to look at ways to cut costs (believed to be in the high $60 millions). They asked Depp to halve his fee, and the star has balked.
It could just be a negotiation tactic on Depp’s part, but at the moment he’s not part of the film. It’s a bit of a surprise as it’s only two weeks since Joel Edgerton signed on to the movie. He’s currently still involved, but he’ll need a new partner for the flick.