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A real-life former mobster reacts to Johnny Depp's performance in Black Mass. Set during the 1970s, Black Mass is a biographical drama about Boston-based Irish mafia boss James "Whitey" Bulger. Depp takes on the lead role of Whitey in the film, while Black Mass's supporting cast includes Joel Edgerton, Kevin Bacon, Benedict Cumberbatch, Peter Sarsgaad, Jesse Plemons, and Dakota Johnson. It was directed by Scott Cooper with an adapted screenplay by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth, based on the book by Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill.

In an interview with Insider, former mobster John Shea discusses Depp's role in Black Mass. In the opening of the video, Shea explains that he was an associate of Whitey Bulger.

Reflecting on Black Mass itself, Shea noted that he thought "the book was better than the movie." This fact did not stop Shea from being stunned the first time he saw...

Johnny Depp's gangster movie Black Mass is trending now on Netflix and nearly a decade later, I still can't believe Depp got snubbed for the Oscar. Directed by Scott Cooper, Black Mass chronicles the true story of the real-life crime boss James "Whitey" Bulger, one of the most notorious gangsters and kingpins in United States history. Depp portrays Bulger, who was the brother of Massachusetts State Senator Billy Bulger and eventually became an FBI informant who helped weaken the Italian Mafia's power in New England. Bulger became an infamous figure of the Irish Mob out of South Boston, Massachusetts, and died in federal prison in 2018.

Black Mass has an outstanding supporting cast, which also got widely overlooked at the 2016 Academy Awards. Benedict Cumberbatch, Jesse Plemons, Joel Edgerton, Dakota Fanning, David Harbour, Peter Sarsgaard, and Kevin Bacon were astoundingly all in the same movie and none of them walked away...

After walking through the true story of Whitey Bulger's journey and motives as an FBI informant, Black Mass highlights the legal repercussions he and others associated with him end up facing. Loosely based on Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill's Black Mass: Whitey Bulger, the FBI, and a Devil's Deal, Black Mass is a biographical crime drama that begins in the year 1975 by introducing Johnny Depp as the real-life leader of the Winter Hill Gang, James "Whitey" Bulger. When the Angiulo Brothers' gang challenges his supremacy, Whitey's long-time friend, FBI agent John Connolly, offers him a deal.

Connolly (played by Joel Edgerton) asks him to become an informant for the FBI and help him take down the Angiulo Brothers' organization. Although initially apprehensive, Bulger agrees to join forces with him. However, as the movie progresses, things take a grim turn when Whitey starts misusing the protection the...

Black Mass features some cast members giving fantastic but incredibly eerie performances. The Whitey Bulger biography is not Johnny Depp's most talked-about role, but it is perhaps one of his most chilling. The actor is better known for parts like Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland, or Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean, which easily overtake Black Mass in popularity, but his part is nonetheless worth looking at.

Whitey Bulger was an Irish-American mobster in South Boston who became one of the most notorious criminals in his area's history. Black Mass tells his true story, specifically chronicling the time wherein Bulger acted as an FBI informant in order to take down a Mafia family that was threatening him. Black Mass was directed by Scott Cooper and based on the book by Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill. It' screenplay...

Black Mass marks a villainous return to form for Johnny Depp. Adapted from the book by Boston Globe journalists Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill, Black Mass is the incredible true story of gangster James 'Whitey' Bulger. Bulger went from being a relatively small time neighborhood criminal in South Boston (Southie), to the feared kingpin of the Boston underworld in the late seventies and eighties. His rise to power was abetted by FBI Agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton). The pair grew up together in the tight-knit Irish community. Then engaged in a criminal alliance to wipe out Bulger's competition, while giving the FBI publicity wins for taking down the Italian Mafia.

Black Mass opens with Kevin Weeks (Jesse Plemons), under arrest, giving sworn testimony to the government. He recounts his initiation into Bulger's (Depp) gang in 1973. This format of Bulger's incarcerated cronies spilling the beans for immunity or reduced sentences is how the story unfolds.

'Maze Runner 2: The Scorch Trials' with Dylan O'Brien. 'Maze Runner 2' to beat Johnny Depp 'Black Mass' The 20th Century Fox release Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, the sequel to the 2014 hit The Maze Runner, and Warner Bros.' Johnny Depp star vehicle Black Mass will be battling it out at the North American box office this coming weekend, Sept. 18-20, the last (astronomical) summer weekend of 2015. According to Variety, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials will “likely” end up at the top of the U.S. and Canada box office chart. In fact, more than just “likely,” in case tracking is on target. Including Thursday evening shows, Maze Runner 2 is expected to collect somewhere around $35 million from 3,790 sites, while Black Mass should take in $22 million or so from 3,188 theaters. 'Maze Runner 2' vs. 'The Maze Runner' Maze Runner 2 will then open only about 10 percent ahead of the original,...

Johnny Depp is America's Most Wanted crook in the gritty teaser for the crime drama Black Mass.

Depp underwent a physical transformation to play the balding crime boss Whitey Bulger, who ruled over the Boston Mob with an iron grip.

Black Mass is based on a book of the same name by Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill, which detailed the connections between Boston police and organised crime.

Whitey Bulger was at the centre of corruption as an FBI informant for more than 30 years, while taking out any opposition to his Winter Hill Gang.

Depp's co-stars include Benedict Cumberbatch as Whitey's politician brother Billy, Joel Edgerton as FBI agent John Connolly and Jesse Plemons as crook Kevin Weeks

Crazy Heart filmmaker Scott Cooper was behind the lens for Black Mass when it was shot in Boston last summer.

Black Mass opens on September 18 in the Us and November 13 in the UK.

Johnny Depp is known for characters such as Jack Sparrow, Mad Hatter, Sweeney Todd and the like, but he has transformed himself completely for Black Mass.

A new trailer has been released showing Depp as notorious Boston gangster Whitey Bulger.

The film follows the true story of Bulger, the brother of a state senator and the most infamous criminal in the history of South Boston. While heading up one of Boston's most feared gangs, he also acted as an FBI informant.

The film is based on the 2001 book Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob written by Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill.

Penned by Mark Mallouk and Jez Butterworth, the adaptation stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Joel Edgerton, Kevin Bacon, Juno Temple and Dakota Johnson.

Depp has signed on to reprise his roles as the Mad Hatter in Alice Through the Looking...

You may already be familiar with gangster Whitey Bulger and if not, here's the run-down: Bulger was number 2 on America's Most Wanted list (right after Osama Bin Laden). He was a mob hitman who Boston for years and he wasn't even quiet about it. The police knew he was a mobster, he was responsible for the deaths of over a dozen victims and no one in law enforcement batted an eyeball.

Bulger did eventually get caught but his story is more colourful than a Scorsese gangster flick and it was only a matter of time before someone took it to the big screen and Black Mass is the first attempt.

Adapted from Gerard O'Neill's book, the movie is directed by Crazy Heart director Scott Cooper and stars Johnny Depp as Bulger in what appears to be, by far, the most interesting ro [Continued ...]...

Sneak Peek new set images from Lynn, Massachusetts, of an unrecognizable Johnny Depp 'uglied'- up to play killer 'Whitey Bulger' in the new crime thriller "Black Mass", based on the 2001 novel "Black Mass: The True Story Of An Unholy Alliance Between The FBI And The Irish Mob", by authors Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill:

"...written and directed by Scott Cooper, the new film also stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Joel Edgerton, Sienna Miller and Dakota Johnson...

"...in an account of the scandal surrounding Boston underworld figure 'James Whitey Bulger and his corrupt ties to FBI agents..."

Warners will release "Black Mass" September 18, 2015.

Click the images to enlarge...

The life of the Johnny Depp drama Black Mass has been a complex one, from point of contention to, now, potential Oscar nominee. Warner Bros. has placed their Black Mass flag in the fourth quarter of 2015, and with it hopes not only for box office success but maybe even Oscar gold. Black Mass has locked down a September 18th, 2015 release date, according to The Hollywood Reporter . The movie is based on the non-fiction tome Black Mass: Whitey Bulger, The FBI And A Devil's Deal by Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill. Oddly enough, the bigger surprise is that the film is no longer called Black Mass, and is in search of a new title. Which makes sense: Black Mass is a term used for something of a reverse Christian mass, used to celebrate the occult. People who know this would think the movie were about the supernatural. People who didn't...

Johnny Depp is confirmed to be returning while Tom Hardy is in early talks to join the Whitey Bulger biopic "Black Mass".

Depp previously signed on and then quit the project last year which seemed to stall until Scott Cooper entered talks to direct last month.

Depp would play the notorious Boston gangster has also served as the inspiration for a number of fictional Boston crime bosses. If he joins, Hardy would play his FBI handler John Connolly who was also a childhood friend of Bulger.

In the 1970s, the pair joined forces with Bulger turning in his rivals to consolidate his power while Connolly scored the professional benefits of being the man who helped dismantle the mob.

Eventually, Connolly was convicted of racketeering, obstruction of justice, and second-degree murder. Bulger was finally captured in 2011.

Mark Mallouk penned the script based on Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill's 2001 book. Cooper...

Looks like I was one year too early when I added Black Mass to my list of Most Anticipated Movies of 2014. At the time I posted that the project was to be directed by Barry Levinson with Joel Edgerton and Johnny Depp on again and off again. Well, the project recently landed in the hands of Scott Cooper (Out of the Furnace, Crazy Heart) and at the time Depp was said to be back, starring as James "Whitey" Bulger in the film based on the Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill book, "Black Mass: Whitey Bulger, the FBI, and a Devil's Deal". Depp is now confirmed to star as Bulger with Tom Hardy reportedly circling the role of Bulger's childhood friend John Connolly. The story would follow the lives of the two men as Connolly becomes a major figure in the FBI's Boston office and Whitey becomes godfather of the Irish Mob.

Barry Levinson, the man behind Good Morning, Vietnam, Rain Man, Bugsy and more, last directed the dull found footage thriller The Bay. The film had its supporters, but trust me, it wasn't any good. Since then he's been attached to the Whitey Bulger biopic Black Mass, which I featured on my list of most anticipated films of 2014 and again this morning in my list of book adaptations heading to the screen this year. Well, scratch any hope of it hitting theaters this year and it appears scratch any hope of Levinson directing. Levinson's film was expected to feature Joel Edgerton while Johnny Depp as original slated to star, but then bounced, allegedly over money. Rumors of Depp bouncing on the project and off again persisted, but it seems the camel's back has broken. A new report from Deadline suggests Levinson is off the project, Depp may actually be back on and Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart,...

It's rare when a film adaptation lives up the book it was based on so with that in mind I have compiled a list of 40 books that have been adapted for the big screen that we can expect to see in theaters this year. This includes two books from Gillian Flynn, young adult adaptations of work by Veronica Roth, Suzanne Collins and James Dashner, a short story from Dennis Lehane, a Nick Hornby adaptation, and an adaptation written by Nick Hornby, a new John le Carre adaptation and a prequel to the stories written by Tom Clancy as well as a couple comics and graphic novel adaptations from the likes of Frank Miller and Hiroshi Sakurazaka and Alexander O. Smith. I've added everything I could think of and while I'm sure I missed a few, please forgive me and hopefully you'll find something that appeals to your taste on the list.

You may have noticed, yesterday's start to my list of this year's most anticipated movies got off to a bit of a cynical start. Well, I hope to change that with today's batch of ten films as I think we are getting into better and better territory and a group of films I feel far more genuinely excited to see, and a couple of which that may end up being the most talked about films of the year. Again, featured directly below is a navigation for this year's most anticipated feature, linking to yesterday's ten films and I will be updating it with links for the installments to come. Most Anticipated 2014 Navigation #1-10 | #11-20 | #21-30 | #31-40 #30 The Fault in Our Stars June 6 Photo: 20th Century Fox amz asin="0525478817" size="small"I get the feeling this is a film that will either be just another sappy, melodramatic adaptation of a much-loved novel,...

Depp will portray infamous Irish American gangster and FBI informant in new film Black Mass, with Barry Levinson directing

Johnny Depp is being lined up to play the notorious Irish American mobster James "Whitey" Bulger in a new biopic from Rain Man and Bugsy director Barry Levinson, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The inspiration for Jack Nicholson's character Frank Costello in Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning The Departed, Bulger was arrested in Santa Monica in June 2011 after being on the run for 15 years. At the time he was wanted for 19 murders and had been on the FBI's most-wanted list for 16 years: the reward for his capture was reportedly second only in size to that offered for information leading to the arrest of Osama bin Laden.

Levinson's film, to be titled Black Mass, will be based on the New York Times bestseller Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy...

Johnny Depp has found his next role.

Depp has nabbed the part of infamous gangster Whitey Bulger in the upcoming thriller "Black Mass." Adapted from Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill's non-fiction book of the same name, "Black Mass" will be directed by Barry Levinson ("Rain Man").

“I could not be more thrilled to have the biggest star in the world and Academy Award-winning director Barry Levinson to finally bring this incredible story to the big screen," producer Brian Oliver said in a release. "'Black Mass' expertly details the twists and turns of this highly complex story, painting a vivid portrait of Boston's underbelly and its corrupt political machine, as well as exposing the worstscandal in FBI history. It's also an examination of loyalty to family, Irish heritage, and South Boston."

Bulger, 83, became famous for his mobster past and his work as an FBI informant. Bulger was arrested...

Black Mass FBI drama to be written by Russell Gerwirtz, based on true story of an FBI and Boston Irish mob alliance, under the the leadership of James "Whitey'" Bulger. Brian Oliver (Black Swan) will produce alongside Cross Creek's Todd Thompson as well as Ridgerock Entertainment Group's Brett Granstaff. Variety reports that the source material for Black Mass comes from the book of the same title by reporters Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill, who investigated the connection betwen the FBI and Bulger for the Boston Globe.

Black Mass FBI drama to be written by Russell Gerwirtz, based on true story of an FBI and Boston Irish mob alliance, under the the leadership of James "Whitey'" Bulger. Brian Oliver (Black Swan) will produce alongside Cross Creek's Todd Thompson as well as Ridgerock Entertainment Group's Brett Granstaff. Variety reports that the source material for Black Mass comes from the book of the same title by reporters Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill, who investigated the connection betwen the FBI and Bulger for the Boston Globe.

Black Mass FBI drama to be written by Russell Gerwirtz, based on true story of an FBI and Boston Irish mob alliance, under the the leadership of James "Whitey'" Bulger. Brian Oliver (Black Swan) will produce alongside Cross Creek's Todd Thompson as well as Ridgerock Entertainment Group's Brett Granstaff. Variety reports that the source material for Black Mass comes from the book of the same title by reporters Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill, who investigated the connection betwen the FBI and Bulger for the Boston Globe.