While Hanks remains attached to the film, Depp is said to be in early talks to join the cast despite — or possibly as a result of — Smith’s recent departure from the project.
Set to be directed by Oscar-nominated Margin Call and A Most Violent Year filmmaker J.C. Chandor, Triple Frontier is set in a notorious region of South America where the borders of Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil meet and the Igazu and Parana rivers converge — earning it the nickname “La Triple Frontera.” The region is an infamous haven for drug trafficking and organized crime activity,
Variety reports that Depp first showed interest in the role when it was being directed by The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty filmmaker Katheryn Bigelow, but has yet to confirm his involvement with the film under Chandor. There’s no word on the role Depp — or Hanks, for that matter — will play in the film.
If the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise star does indeed join Hanks in the film’s cast, it would be the first collaboration between the two A-list actors, who have eight Academy Award nominations and two wins (both for Hanks) between them. Chandor also received an Oscar nomination for the 2011 drama Margin Call, which he wrote and directed.
The script for Triple Frontier was penned by Mark Boal, Bigelow’s producing partner and the Oscar-winning screenwriter for Zero Dark Thirty and The Hurt Locker.
It’s unknown whether Depp will be taking on the role that Smith was originally attached to, but the report suggests that Smith departed the project due to scheduling issues with his upcoming film Collateral Beauty — suggesting that Triple Frontier could begin production in the near future.
