Johnny Depp is set to star in the upcoming biopic, Minamata, as photojournalist W. Eugene Smith. Minamata, based on the novel of the same name by Aileen Mioko Smith and Smith himself, will be directed by Andrew Levitas and will be launched by HanWay Films.

The film will follow Smith as he travels to Japan in the 1970’s. Since his unwanted fame due to his WWII exploits, Smith has become a reclusive person, but now that he needs to fulfill a commission from Life and Ralph Graves, he must go on with only his Nikon camera to cover the Minamata disease scandal. Little does Smith know just how huge the story would become and how people would still be hit by it so many years later.

Some members of the production personally met with victims of the terrible disease and they gave their support to the important film.

Depp production entity Infinitium Nihil developed the film, and producers include Sam Sarkar, Bill Johnson, and Levitas.

Levitas had this to say about the upcoming production and working with Depp:

“Working with Johnny to give voice to those who have been silently suffering is a responsibility we do not take lightly. Much like Eugene Smith in 1971, we could not feel more privileged or humbled to be tasked with the mission of bringing this incredible story to the world.”