Lionsgate recently debuted the first trailer for its new thriller, Day Drinker. Starring Johnny Depp and Madelyn Cline, the film is set to arrive in theaters on March 26, 2027.
Johnny Depp’s back-to-back 2026-2027 studio releases
The release of the Day Drinker trailer signals a significant moment in Johnny Depp's return to major Hollywood productions.. According to the report, this film marks a major step in his comeback, following his role as Ebenezer Scrooge in Ti West's Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol. That project is slated for a November 13, 2026, release, meaning Depp will have two major studio films hitting theaters within just four months of each other. This rapid succession of roles suggests a concerted effort to re-establish his presence as a leading man in the studio system after years away from such prominent Hollywood projects.
A John Wick-style revenge mission on a private yacht
The trailer introduces Johnny Depp as Mr. Kelly, a character defined by a striking physical transformation including gray hair and a thick Irish accent. Director Marc Webb has compared the intensity of this character to the high-stakes action seen in the John Wick franchise. As reported by ScreenRant, the film is set against the backdrop of a private yacht, where the action includes gnufire, axe fights, and intense confrontations on the water.
Webb noted that Depp is at his best when he is in disguise , suggesting that the character's new look is a deliberate creative choice. The trailer also features Depp's character warning others that he has "made a living out of misbehavior," adding a layer of grit to the yacht-based setting.
The fourth reunion of Depp and Penelope Cruz
The production also reunites Johnny Depp with longtime collaborator Penelope Cruz for the fourth time. The pair has previously wokred together on films such as Blow, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and Murder on the Orient Express. In Day Drinker, Cruz takes on the role of Cara Lazaro, a character Webb described as a villain.
The film is produced by a team including Zach Dean, Basil Iwanyk, Adam Kolbrenner, and Erica Lee. Webb told ScreenRant that Cruz was his only choice for the role of Cara Lazaro, expressing a specific desire to see the actress play a villainous part. He added that the actors' shared history makes their on-screen rivalry particularly compelling , even as they play characters intent on killing one another.
What lies behind the sinking woman and the film's rituals?
While the trailer provides plenty of action, several key elements of the plot remain unverified. The film appears to incorporate a unique mythology involving Tarot and specific rituals, but the exact nature of the story is still unclear. It remains to be seen whether the film is a traditional revenge thriller, a vampire myth, or a ghost story—a question even Depp's character , Mr. Kelly, poses in the footage.
Additionally, the trailer features an ominous shot of a woman sinking into the sea, but the connection between this event and the central revenge plot is not yet explained. The supernatural elements remain shrouded in mystery, leaving audiences to wonder if the film will lean more into horror or high-octane action.
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