Johnny Depp Developing Film Adaptation of The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett

Vulture is reporting that Johnny Depp is scouting directors for his film adaptation of The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett, in which he plans to star. His first choice is Rob Marshall, who is currently directing the actor in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. There's no script yet, but plans are moving forward for Depp to develop the project through his production studio at Warner Bros.

Written in 1934, The Thin Man was a stand-alone novel, though you wouldn't know it based on the six films adapted from it starring William Powell and Myrna Loy that were released from 1936 through 1947. Set in Prohibition-era New York City, the original storyline features the glamorous couple Nick and Nora Charles -- and let's not forget their dog, Asta -- who are drawn into investigating the disappearance of an eccentric inventor and the murder of his secretary. The titular character actually refers to the missing man, Clyde Wynant.