The Whitey Bulger biopic Black Mass has had a turbulent path to where it is now. Johnny Depp has long been attached to the film about the infamous Boston mobster, but he bailed at one point over a contract dispute only to return later. Tom Hardy was set to co-star and he split, and so did original director Barry Levinson, only to be replaced by Joel Edgerton and Scott Cooper. So when one goes out, someone else ably steps in to fill the void, and now with Guy Pearce leaving the film a replacement has been found in Benedict Cumberbatch.
Pearce has been forced to exit Black Mass due to scheduling conflicts, but its doubtful producers are upset with Cumberbatch coming aboard. And along with him is Adam Scott in the role of FBI agent Robert Fitzpatrick. Depp will play Bulger with Cumberbatch as his law abiding brother, Billy Bulger. Edgerton is the disgraced FBI agent and childhood friend of Bulger's who helps him escape the law and go on the run for years.
Also starring Dakota Johnson, Jesse Plemons, and Juno Temple, Black Mass is in production now. [THR/BostonGlobe]
