Johnny Depp seeks “authentic, outspoken, visionary ideas and voices” for publishing company
New Bob Dylan book will be the first from the actor's Infinitum Nihil imprint
He may be one of the best known actors in Hollywood, a noteworthy producer, winemaker and restaurateur (not to mention a pretty nifty guitarist - see below), but Johnny Depp now has something new to add to his ever-growing CV... book publisher.
The 49-year-old is seeking “authentic, outspoken and visionary ideas and voices” to be part of his publishing imprint, Infinitum Nihil (Nothing is Forever), a division of the HarperCollins group.
The company takes its name from Depp's existing film production company that he formed in 2004, and has since been responsible for movies The Rum Diary, Martin Scorsese's Hugo and Tim Burton's Dark Shadows.
The first book published by Infinitum Nihil is expected to be The Unraveled Tales of Bob Dylan, which is based on interviews with the veteran folk singer by historian Douglas Brinkley. The book is currently scheduled for release in 2015.
"I pledge, on behalf of Infinitum Nihil, that we will do our best to deliver publications worthy of people's time, of people's concern, publications that might ordinarily never have breached the parapet," said Depp in a statement announcing the new company.
More like this
Brinkley said the Dylan book was “the ideal” way to introduce the new company, adding: "Bob has been very warm and forthcoming with us. His music has inspired us both deeply since we were teenagers”.
Depp has close connections to the literary world, thanks in part to his friendship with acclaimed gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, who died in February 2005. Depp has starred in a number of screen adaptations of Thompson's works including The Rum Diary and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
Depp rose to prominence in the mid-1980s on US TV show 21 Jump Street and has since gone on to make a string of successful Hollywood films including, amongst many others, Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Pirates of the Caribbean series and Sweeney Todd. It is estimated that his films have grossed more than $7bn worldwide, and Depp himself is believed to have a net worth of over $350m.
Here he is with Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder:
