Get ready for some truly wild, darkly comic chaos! Johnny Depp is officially set to star in the first-ever English-language film adaptation of the Russian literary masterpiece, Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita!
This project promises to bring one of the most fantastical and philosophical novels to the big screen. The project is currently seeking a director. It was announced at Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival as part of its Red Sea Labs program.
A Devilishly Complex Story
If you haven’t read the novel, you are in for a treat—and a chaotic journey across time and space. The film’s synopsis perfectly sets up the mind-bending plot:
“Set between 1930s Moscow, where the devil returns with his talking cat to cause havoc amongst its corrupt citizens, and Jerusalem during the time of Pontius Pilate, The Master and Margarita tells a fantastical, satirical tale of love, artistic freedom and the eternal battle of good versus evil. A third intertwined story follows a struggling writer, the Master, and his lover, Margarita, who is willing to do anything to save him from the totalitarian system. What follows is a darkly comic, wildly imaginative tale of inexhaustible energy, philosophical depth, and spiritual rebellion.”
Seriously, a story that blends 1930s Soviet bureaucracy with a talking feline agent of Satan (named Behemoth, naturally) and is also a profound love story? It’s a work that remains ferociously relevant today—a timeless reminder of art’s power to challenge, illuminate, and endure.
The Production Team is All In
Johnny Depp is producing the film under his own IN.2 Film banner, continuing his successful partnership with Svetlana Dali (who produced Jeanne du Barry) and Grace Loh. Dali and Loh will produce alongside Depp, Stephen Deuters, and Stephen Malit.
This adaptation continues Dali’s collaboration with IN.2, following her executive producer roles on other Depp-led projects like Jeanne du Barry and Modì: Three Days on the Wing of Madness.
The ambitious production schedule targets a start in late 2026. This gives us plenty of time to re-read the novel and brace ourselves for the devil’s arrival! As reported by Variety, this is easily one of the most intriguing and ambitious literary adaptations in years.
It’s great to see Depp back in action. The Master and Margarita will be Depp’s second feature in 2026. He will also star in Ti West’s new dark interpretation of The Christmas Carol, which is set to premiere in November 2026.
