Earlier this week, we saw an international poster for The Rum Diary that suggested the Canadians speak neither English nor French, but the international language of Johnny Depp's handsome face. That's all well and good, as the sight of Depp's mug probably sells a lot more tickets than any cleverness ever could, but after the exceedingly clever and striking first domestic poster for the film, one couldn't but be a little underwhelmed by the Canadian one-sheet. Perhaps sensing this, FilmDistrict and GK Films have issued another poster that once again sidesteps Depp in favor of an evocative, fun image.
The film sees Depp once again playing a surrogate for Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson after memorably bringing Raoul Duke to boisterous life in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the 1998 adaptation directed by Terry Gilliam. In this take on the first novel Thompson ever wrote, Depp plays Paul Kemp, a hard-living reporter who finds debauchery and journalistic opportunities in Puerto Rico.
This poster, which debuted at Apple, properly conveys the Thompson lifestyle and retains that wonderful tagline, "Absolutely Nothing in Moderation."
Refresh your memory on the film's official trailer by clicking right here.
Apparently, writer-director Bruce Robinson was asked to direct Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas over a decade ago, but didn't know how to adapt the unruly material. Instead, the man behind Withnail and I will make The Rum Diary his first directorial feature since 1992's Jennifer 8. Joining Johnny Depp in the cast are Amber Heard, Giovanni Ribisi, Richard Jenkins, Michael Rispoli, and Aaron Eckhart.
The Rum Diary gets its booze on in theaters as of October 28th.
