The secret story behind Johnny Depp’s astonishing comeback

Depp’s comeback is also linked to broader shifts in Hollywood’s approach to the #MeToo-era allegations.

One crisis expert said: “The closer the timing was to the Harvey Weinstein case, the more powerful the allegations felt, and the greater the risk of cancellation. Now studios feel more free to hire as they see fit.”

Andrea Riseborough, 42, who will star alongside Depp as he plays Scrooge in the upcoming film Ebenezerhas publicly supported #MeToo initiatives.

She signed a letter published in a British Sunday newspaper in 2018 that said: “In the very near past we lived in a world where sexual harassment was an uncomfortable joke… it was certainly not allowed to be discussed, let alone addressed. In 2018, we seem to have woken up to a world ripe for change.”

Industry sources suggest her involvement in the Scrooge project signals both a professional change in stance and a belief in Depp’s talent.

“Most people’s memories are short,” says a showbiz source.

“If you do things right and you have the talent, you can make a comeback. Johnny has done this spectacularly well. He kept a low profile after the settlement and focused on passion projects and family. He is a gifted actor and Ebenezer is the perfect role for him, especially with its themes of redemption.”

Now living between Madrid and London, insiders say Depp is poised to ‘reclaim’ a place in mainstream Hollywood ‘with a vengeance and hunger’ – in a show of how commercial appeal, timing and perseverance can come together to revive a career after it was thought to have ended in Tinseltown.