Public Enemies (2009)
- Eagle-eyed viewers have noticed a hidden easter egg referencing Michael Mann's previous film in the background of the opening scene.
- Before Johnny Depp was cast, several major A-list stars turned down the lead role because they felt the script was too risky.
- The original script for Public Enemies was written over a decade before production finally began in 2009.
Public Enemies is a 2009 American biographical crime drama directed by Michael Mann. Johnny Depp stars as John Dillinger, the charismatic bank robber who became America's most wanted criminal and folk hero during the Great Depression, robbing banks with theatrical flair while eluding the newly formed FBI, led by J. Edgar Hoover's handpicked agent Melvin Purvis played by Christian Bale.
The film chronicles the final year of Dillinger's life, from his daring jailbreaks and brazen robberies through his romance with Billie Frechette played by Marion Cotillard to the ambush outside the Biograph Theater in Chicago. Michael Mann shot the film on high-definition digital video, creating a hyper-real, present-tense immediacy that made the 1930s period feel contemporary. Johnny Depp brought quiet charm and melancholy to Dillinger, a man who knew he was running out of time.
Public Enemies earned $214 million worldwide on a $100 million budget.
