Johnny Depp is one of the world’s biggest film stars. He is such a big name that he earned a Guinness World Record title for being the highest-paid film star for a role. With this type of hype around Depp, he can virtually do whatever film roles he would like and studios know that they will make millions, a fact that can clearly be seen by the number of films Depp has starred in that have made over $100 million.

While Depp is known for bringing audiences to the box office with his on-screen talent, studio executives were not quite as keen to dole out tens of millions years ago for a film when he decided he wanted to try his hand at directing. Instead, Depp, like many actors before him who have had a desire to direct, had to go the independent film route to get some directing experience behind him. Not only did Depp go the independent route though, he used his own script for his foray into the world of directing.

Despite the fact that Depp was proud of the film he wrote, directed, and starred in, he refused to release his controversial directorial debut in the US. As such, the only audiences who have been able to watch the film without going to great lengths to see it, are those in Europe, a fact that Depp is fine with, more than two decades after the actor showed his work to audiences at the Cannes Film Festival.

How Johnny Depp Came To Direct ‘The Brave’

The road to Depp’s directorial debut was one that was filled with controversy from the beginning. This is because years before Depp would join The Brave, two young producers, Carroll Kemp and Charles Evans Jr. began shopping the story idea of a man who agreed to star in a snuff film for $50,000.

This act of the man ultimately sacrificing his life for his family spoke to the producers. It also spoke to a first-time director, Aziz Ghazal, who Touchstone Pictures was willing to take a chance on. The studio greenlit the film and it was set to begin filming in December 1993.

Shortly before filming began, Ghazal became a suspect in multiple homicides, according to the Los Angeles Times. His involvement in them was later proven when Ghazal’s body was found after he took his own life.

This caused Touchstone to drop out of the project and left Evans and Kemp hundreds of thousands out of pocket with a film left dead in the water.

It was not until Kemp and Evans were finally able to get the script to Depp that there was some life breathed into it again. However, Depp was not a fan of the original script. In order for him to commit to the film, Depp not only wanted to rewrite the script but he wanted to direct.

Depp did not necessarily want to act in The Brave, but he knew investors would be easier to find if he did.

As such, the agreement was made that Depp have “creative control” over The Brave, including when it came to the final cut. This helped the film to amass a budget of $9 million, including $2 million of Depp’s own money to get made.

With the budget that Depp had and the friends he had made in Hollywood, he was able to build a star-studded cast around him, which helped to create a buzz about The Brave before filming was barely underway.

The Star-Studded Cast Johnny Depp Worked With On ‘The Brave’

Depp had several performances that were deemed underrated in the early days of his career. But when the time came to make The Brave, it was Depp’s name that would be responsible for drawing audiences to the theaters.

However, Depp was also able to bring a legend to the film to play one of the most pivotal roles that Depp had written into the script. That person was Marlon Brando. After the two worked on Don Juan DeMarco together, they became good friends and Brando was happy to help Depp out to make his directorial debut dreams come true.

When Depp was writing the script for The Brave, the character MacCarthy was written specifically for Brando. However, Depp was hesitant to ask Brando to play the role as he did not want Brando to feel “obligated” to take the role.

“I had written the part for Marlon—with Marlon in mind—but [. . .] I was always uncomfortable with the idea of approaching him because I didn’t want him to feel like he was obligated, or uncomfortable, or awkward—that I was asking him to play the part and he’d have to say ‘No,'” Depp explained. “So I never approached him.”

Depp went on to say, “So for him to have asked me if I had cast the part I had thought of him for, was very strange, because I had never spoken to him about it! So when he asked me, ‘Did you get someone to play that part you were thinking of me for?’, and I said, ‘No,’ he said, ‘All right. Send me the script.’ I sent him the script. Five days later, he called me. He said, ‘All right. I’ll do it.'”

Despite the fact that Depp believed in The Brave and had both his and Brando’s names attached to the marquee, it became clear very quickly that the film would never be released in the US.

As such, more than 25 years after its European release, The Brave has never been released in the states, even though Depp secured the release rights for the US decades ago.

Why Johnny Depp Refuses To Release ‘The Brave’ In The US

Depp is not one to watch his own films. However, this is not the reason why he has refused to release The Brave in the US. That instead, has to do with the fact that Depp knew the film would be ripped to shreds by the American press.

Depp was correct in the fact that critics did tear The Brave apart. But instead of changing the film to make it more palatable for audiences who found it to be disturbing, Depp chose to shelve it instead.

“The first 15 minutes is barren of dialogue and, although the cinematography is strong,” one reviewer stated, “even Johnny Depp’s smoldering good looks and impressive acting are not weighty enough to carry that length of time without a word spoken.”

This is one of the kinder reviews that The Brave received. As such, Depp took a financial hit on the film, refusing to change his vision to make a profit.

“I couldn’t care less [about the reviews]. . . . I didn’t make this film to entertain people,” Depp told The Los Angeles Times. “I’m not an entertainer. . . . I hope people really love it or really hate it.”

Depp went on to say, “I’m prepared to listen if there’s a problem with length but rather than be forced to make changes, I’ll put it in a vault and let it sit.”

This is exactly what Depp did after a small release in France after the Cannes Film Festival. Whether Depp will ever release The Brave in the US is unknown. But given that Depp has always appreciated artistry over financial gain, it would be surprising if it ever was.