Johnny Depp’s one buried project’s stayed in the shadows for years, and it’s not coming out anytime soon. Back in the late ’90s, Depp stepped behind the camera to direct a dark, intense movie that took a haunting turn. After its debut at Cannes, critics weren’t impressed, but that wasn’t the worst of it. A gruesome real-life murder eerily mirrored the film’s plot, and the project quickly gained a reputation as something best left hidden.

Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow | Walt Disney Pictures

With a storm of bad luck surrounding it, Depp quietly pulled the film from any further release. Decades later, this mysterious project remains locked away, and it looks like Depp has no plans of ever letting it see the light of day.

Johnny Depp’s Darkest Film That Was Never Released: A Haunting Chapter

Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow | Walt Disney Pictures

Johnny Depp’s directorial project will never see the light of day, and for good reason. Back in 1997, Depp helmed a dark, intense film that he later admitted “just about ripped me to shreds.” 

The movie, based on Gregory McDonald’s book The Brave, told the grim story of a Native American who agrees to star in a snuff film to pull his family out of poverty. Depp took on the lead role himself, alongside the legendary Marlon Brando. He alluded to The La Times:

I felt driven to do this movie. This was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done. It just about ripped me to shreds.

But The Brave wasn’t always meant to be Depp’s. Initially, director Aziz Ghazal was attached—until a horrifying event. Ghazal killed his wife and daughter before taking his own life. Production was suspended, and when it resumed, Depp stepped in as director, writer, and producer.

Johnny Depp in The Brave | Touchstone Pictures 

Despite the emotional toll, he pushed forward with the project. But when it premiered at Cannes, it was met with overwhelmingly negative reviews. Critics weren’t kind, and Depp’s brutal honesty about the film didn’t help either. It wasn’t made for mass appeal, and Depp knew it. He stated defiantly:

I couldn’t care less…I didn’t make this film to entertain people. I’m not an entertainer…I hope people really love it or really hate it. 

In the end, Depp decided not to release the film widely in the U.S. The harsh reception hit him hard, and The Brave never made it to theaters or home video, becoming almost impossible to watch today.

Depp, a Hollywood heartthrob known for his eccentric performances like Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean, clearly wasn’t looking to please the masses with this dark project. And so, The Brave remains locked away, a haunting chapter in Johnny Depp’s career that, to this day, he keeps hidden from the world.

Johnny Depp’s Bloody On-Set Injury Went Unnoticed During The Tourist

Angelina Jolie as “Elise” and Johnny Depp as “Frank” in THE TOURIST | Columbia Pictures

Johnny Depp sustained an unexpected injury while filming The Tourist, but he didn’t even realize it at first. While dashing across rooftops for one of the movie’s many action scenes, Depp cut his foot. But in true Depp fashion, he didn’t feel the pain until he noticed blood trailing behind him.

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“That was wild,” he told IGN, recalling how director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck pointed out the blood dripping down the terracotta tiles. Despite the minor mishap, the scene was completed, and Depp patched up quickly.

The Tourist, a romantic thriller co-starring Angelina Jolie, may have been critically panned, but it was still a commercial success, earning $278M globally despite its mixed reviews.