Inside Johnny Depp's Friendship With Penelope Cruz

In October 2024, Lionsgate revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz were teaming up for the new feature film "Day Drinker." Marc Webb, director of "The Amazing Spider-Man," would helm the project. The movie would mark the fourth time that Depp and Cruz shared the screen, previously starring together in "Blow," "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," and "Murder on the Orient Express."

This new movie would be a great fit for the duo because of their established on-screen chemistry. But it was also an opportunity for two old friends, who have maintained a connection, to once again work together. "She's as loyal and true a friend as anyone could ever dream of," Depp said during Cruz's Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in 2011 (via AP). Cruz, attending with husband Javier Bardem, spoke highly of Depp as well, when she shared the story of her first trip to LA. "I spoke no English. I only knew how to say two things, two sentences. One was 'How are you?' The other one was 'I want to work with Johnny Depp.'" However, their long-standing friendship has often been the topic of speculation.

Rumors of a romantic relationship between Depp and Cruz swirled in the past, with neither star ever confirming the gossip. Depp has had romantic relationships with Hollywood actresses, however Cruz has never publicly been on that list. But the link between the two is apparent, with Cruz speaking up for her friend during Depp and Amber Heard's defamation trial in 2022. "Many years have passed and I have not only made 3 movies with him," Cruz wrote in a deposition (via The Blast), "but I also count on him as a great friend."

Cruz also stated that Depp looked out for her during her first pregnancy while filming "Pirates of the Caribbean." "My husband and I will never forget the sweetness, protection and kindness he treated me with during every single step of that process." The two more recently crossed paths at the San Sebastian Film Festival in September 2024, where they had the chance to catch up. According to People, Cruz shared a photo with Depp in an Instagram Story.

While "Day Drinker" marked a feature film comeback for Depp, he was also set to star in Terry Gilliam's "The Carnival at the End of Days." At the time of writing, Depp would play Satan in a film that also starred Adam Driver and Jason Momoa.