Titanic: 25 years old this year and still in the top 5 of the greatest successes in cinema
American cinema is currently facing a crisis, with many productions on hold. Screenwriters and actors are on strike, demanding better revenue sharing and limitations on the use of AI. However, today we focus on Johnny Depp, who has recently made headlines with a lawsuit against his ex-girlfriend, Amber Heard.
Johnny Depp is known for his numerous roles in movies such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Sleepy Hollow, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Platoon, Sweeney Todd, and Fantastic Beasts. He has had a successful career with various awards, but it could have been even more significant in the late 1990s thanks to James Cameron.
At the end of the 1990s, James Cameron was working on a massive project, Titanic, which won 11 Oscars in 1998. The film held the No. 1 spot in the box office chart of all-time greatest hits for a long time. Even though it is now in fourth place, it has generated over $2.2 billion in revenue, especially with the 3D version and special projections. Titanic stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, telling the story of the world’s most famous ship through the journey of two young individuals from different backgrounds who develop a brief connection during the tragic crossing.
Johnny Depp as Jack Dawson? It could have been!
Interestingly, Leonardo DiCaprio could have been replaced by Johnny Depp in the role of Jack in Titanic. Depp was considered for the part and even received a script, but he declined the offer. This decision had a significant impact on the course of history for Depp, who later took on another Jack role in Pirates of the Caribbean. According to CBR, Depp turned down the role, explaining to Howard Stern that the script was too long, but there might have been other factors at play.
So, we could have seen Johnny Depp as Jack alongside Rose on the railing. Additionally, Leonardo DiCaprio initially didn’t want the role either after reading the script, finding his character boring and not fully grasping the significance of being part of the story of the most famous shipwreck in the world. However, James Cameron insisted, and DiCaprio eventually accepted the role.