Johnny's next role is to play J. M. Barrie, the Scottish creator of Peter Pan - a role that is as far removed as possible from the dashing Captain Sparrow.

The film will tell how Barrie was affected by his brother's death as a child, a shock which literally caused him to stop growing, and how he would dress up as his brother for his devastated mother.

It will also follow Barrie's adulthood friendship with the four fatherless boys who inspired him to write Peter Pan.

Titanic star Kate Winslet will play the boys' mother.

Johnny says: "I thought it was a beautiful story and it was interesting the way he came up with the idea for Peter Pan - although we see titbits of information that inspired it, and there was always some speculation about Barrie that maybe there was some kind of paedophilia going on, which I actually don't think there was.

"What I do believe is he was an incredibly dark figure, really depressed ... morose."

Such a complex character is a more typically off-beat role for Depp, but he doesn't care how others see him - his top priority these days is his family.

He says: "I am a happy guy. My life's changed so much since I became a dad. It has helped put it all into perspective."