“Johnny Depp's production company Infinitum Nihil has acquired screen rights to the Nick Tosches novel In the Hand of Dante,” Variety reports. “Book revolves around Dante's masterwork The Divine Comedy, and tells parallel storylines involving Dante in 14th-century Italy as he tries to complete the work, and a contemporary storyline involving Tosches, who is asked to authenticate what might be Dante's original manuscript. Depp would play Tosches.” The project will have to wait, as Depp is set to play Hunter S. Thompson for the second time in an adaptation of The Rum Diaries, beginning production in March.

Twilight star Kristen Stewart is set to play Joan Jett in the biopic The Runaways. For those of you who missed the ‘70s, The Hollywood Reporter helpfully notes, “The Runaways were hugely influential as the first successful all-girl hard rock band; its members included guitarists Jett and Lita Ford, drummer Sandy West, singer-keyboardist Cherie Currie and bassist Jackie Fox. The band was brought together in late 1975 by impresario Kim Fowley, who thought a novelty act of teenaged girls performing in leather and lace would be an easy sell, but the girls ended up proving to be serious and influential musicians with songs like Cherry Bomb.” No word yet on who will play the creepy, creepy Fowley.

Phillip Noyce (Patriot Games) is developing a remake of Captain Blood for Warner Bros. “Errol Flynn starred in the 1935 original, directed by Michael Curtiz, as a doctor wrongly sentenced to slavery in the Caribbean, where he and his comrades become avenging pirates,” Variety reminds. Aargh.

Related:
Depp vs. Murray: Dueling Gonzos
Johnny Depp, Household Pet