Depp opens 'Rum Diary'

Johnny Depp is set to produce and star in an adaptation of Hunter S Thompson's 'The Rum Diary'

Johnny Depp just can’t get enough of Hunter S Thompson it would seem – having already played the legendary writer in ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’, he’s now set to produce and star in a film version of Thompson’s 'The Rum Diary'.

Written in 1959 but unpublished until 1998, the book follows the trials and tribulations of freelance journalist Paul Kemp as he tries to survive while working with a self-destructive group of hacks at a Puerto Rican newspaper.

The 'Pirates of the Caribbean' star first tried to make a film based on the book way back in 2000, and after that fell through Benicio Del Toro and Josh Hartnett came close to shooting their own version in 2002. Neither project made it past pre-production however, though with Warner Independent Pictures and Graham King’s GK Films now backing the film, it looks like it might finally get made.

Bruce Robinson, the man behind cult legend 'Withnail & I', will adapt and direct the screen version, with work expected to start when Depp finishes shooting 'Shantaram' for Mira Nair.

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