Johnny Depp is to play Whitey Bulger in the film, Black Mass, which starts shooting in May. The notorious gangster was at the top of the FBI's list for years before he was captured.

So whom exactly will Depp be portraying? Gangster films are getting tediously samey - see Gangster Squad, which even tried to reverse the spectrum coming from the 'bad cops' viewpoint, but still wasn't loved by critics - so what's so special about Bulger? Well, he was an organized crime figure from Boston - okay nothing new there - but this guy was glorified by many as a "Robin Hood" styled character. Now we're talking; he masterminded a protection racket and targeted drug kingpins and illegal gambling houses. While he was beloved by many, he was indicted for 19 murders. This sounds like a movie we want to see, especially with the mercurial talents of Mr Depp, who has experience in playing gangsters, having portrayed John Dillinger in Michael Mann's Public Enemies, George Jung in Blow and Donnie Brasco in Donnie Brasco.

Bulger was as on the run until June 2011, when he was arrested without incident at a house in Santa Monica, California. His trial is set to begin this year, but not without complications. With 300,000 documents to sift through, lawyers have requested a lengthy delay. 

Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp to play mobster Whitey Bulger in forthcoming movie

Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp will be starring in new movie Black Mass, playing Whitey Bulger