There's been a lot of fuss recently about whether or not Johnny Depp will be reprising his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in more Pirates of the Caribbean films, and I certainly understand why it's a big deal. After all, POTC is a billion dollar franchise and Depp is the best part of it. He's the Han Solo of the series. Take him out, and you're left with a major shortage of charisma.

Yet for all the anticipation surrounding the POTC sequels, I'm more interested in seeing Depp take on the world of Hunter S. Thompson again. I'm referring, of course, to The Rum Diary, an adaptation of Thompson's first novel that Depp has been circling for quite some time. If I put together a list of films that I'm looking forward to watching the most, The Rum Diary would easily be in the Top 5. The project began shooting in March, and its slated to be released next year.

The source material is a far cry from the drug-fueled frenzy of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, but its just as strong. In Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the Thompson character was known as Raoul Duke, and in Rum Diary he's known as Paul Kemp. In Rum Diary, Kemp is the calm center of an insane world, while in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Duke joins the madness. I just know that Depp is going to knock the Thompson role out of the park again, and he'll be joined by an excellent supporting cast that includes Aaron Eckhart, Richard Jenkins, Giovanni Ribisi and the lovely Amber Heard.