Believe it or not, Hollywood megastars Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie had never met before teaming up in the new action thriller The Tourist. They were introduced for the first time when discussing the film with co-producer Graham King and 'there was complete, instant chemistry between them', says King.
Getting Jolie on board for a movie is one thing. Getting both Jolie and Depp is quite another. There's also the possibility of one performer overshadowing the other. 'We really needed someone who wouldn't be eclipsed by Angelina,' says director and co-writer Henckel von Donnersmarck. 'When we brainstormed over what actor could be a true partner for her in terms of attractiveness, intelligence and acting skill, the only name that kept coming to our minds was Johnny Depp.'
In The Tourist, criminal Alexander Pearce has disappeared. No one knows where he is, not even his girlfriend Elise Ward (Jolie).
Rumour has it that Pearce has changed his looks to avoid being caught. One day, he sends instructions to Ward asking her to board a train for Venice, find a stranger who looks like him, and make the police believe he is Pearce.
Unfortunately, the man she picks is American tourist Frank Tupelo (Depp), who's on his way to Venice to mend a broken heart. The pair embark on a dangerous journey in one of the most romantic and beautiful cities in the world.
'Somebody once said [camera film company] Kodak owed most of its revenue to Venice,' says von Donnersmarck. 'In reality, the city is sinking and falling to bits, but we wanted to show the glory of the place. We asked ourselves, 'How can we show the city from its best side?'
