"It Felt Like An Act Of Seduction:" Day Drinker Director Marc Webb Teases A Moody Action-Thriller Perfect For John Wick Fans

Marc Webb teases Day Drinker and reuniting Johnny Depp and Penélope Cruz in an Exclusive interview with ScreenRant.

Published Sep 24, 2026, 11:15 AM EDT

EXCLUSIVE: Day Drinker is shaping up to be a wild addition to 2027's action movie slate, with a new teaser trailer and poster offering the best look yet at director Marc Webb's upcoming thriller. Written by The Gorge screenwriter Zach Dean, the film pairs its sun-soaked Mediterranean setting and dangerous criminal underworld with a supernatural mythology lurking beneath the surface.

At the center of the story is Mr. Kelly (Johnny Depp), a mysterious guest aboard a private yacht who crosses paths with bartender Lorna (Madelyn Cline). Their encounter soon draws them into the orbit of a criminal figure played by Penélope Cruz, setting off a story involving thieves, killers, and unexpected connections. Juan Diego Botto also stars.

Day Drinker marks new territory for Webb, and ScreenRant spoke exclusively with the director about what drew him to the action-thriller and reuniting Depp and Cruz on screen. Alongside the new trailer and poster, ScreenRant is also featuring a gallery of exclusive first-look images from the film, which we debuted earlier today.

Day Drinker Gives Marc Webb A Dangerous New Sandbox To Play In

• 

• 

Zach Dean's script for Day Drinker, and the character of Mr. Kelly specifically, drew Marc Webb to the film in the first place. "Mr. Kelly was so charming and so mysterious," Webb told ScreenRant. "Reading the script felt like an act of seduction."

Coming off films like Gifted and Snow White, the shift into Day Drinker's darker world was also part of the appeal. Asked what excited him about such a dramatic change in tone, Webb had a simple answer: "I was feeling naughty."

Webb's previous experience with large-scale action came into play as well:

"The most fun and satisfying action was practical, even on Spider-Man. I wanted the violence that creeps into this incredibly eerie, supernaturally charged world to feel grounded but also beautiful and very real."

Beyond the action, Webb teased a larger mythology surrounding Mr. Kelly and the world he inhabits.

This world has its own rules and its own unique mythology.

Webb explained that it "trades on familiar rituals like Tarot" while teasing "a terrifying history that is always lurking in the shadows." He also drew a comparison between Mr. Kelly and one of modern action cinema's most recognizable characters: "And while Mr. Kelly feels increasingly dangerous, like John Wick, you will love him."

Why Marc Webb Needed Johnny Depp And Penélope Cruz For Day Drinker

For Webb, Johnny Depp's approach to Mr. Kelly plays directly to what he considers one of the actor's greatest strengths. "I know Johnny is at his best when he is in disguise," Webb told ScreenRant. "When he finds the character's look, it's as if a light goes on. He's a virtuoso, there's no other way to say it."

Webb also pointed to a side of Depp that he believes audiences haven't seen reflected in one of his characters before:

"There's a playfulness to Kelly that is very Johnny Depp, but I don't think we've seen the distinguished silver fox that JD has become. JD is a father and is deeply in love, proud and protective of his children. That comes to bear in our story in surprising ways, and I don't think we've seen that side of him in a character before."

Day Drinker also reunites Depp with Penélope Cruz, marking their fourth movie together after Blow, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and Murder on the Orient Express. This time, that history becomes part of a very different onscreen dynamic.

"Johnny and Penelope have built-in history. It makes their rivalry so delicious," Webb said. Cruz was also his first choice for Cara Lazaro: "Penelope was the only one I wanted to make the movie with because not only is she an icon, she's a brilliant and nuanced actor, and she really wanted to play a baddie."

That rivalry didn't always make it easy for the longtime co-stars to stay in character, however. As Webb put it, "Johnny and Penelope constantly make each other laugh, which is hard when you are making a movie where they want to kill each other."

Day Drinker