Johnny Depp has teamed with Ridley Scott and indie studio Mechanical Cake to launch Hyde, a two‑volume graphic novel that extends Robert Louis Stevenson’s tale into a Victorian underworld ruled solely by Mr. Hyde after Dr. Jekyll’s defeat, with all three partners sharing ownership of the new IP.
The project will be unveiled Thursday in San Diego Comic‑Con’s Hall H during a panel titled “Hyde: When the Worlds of Graphic Novels and Movies Collide,” where every attendee receives a large‑format ashcan preview that will also be offered as a free download.
Mechanical Cake chief Jesse Negron wrote the four‑chapter series, each chapter topping 100 pages, with artists Chris Weston and Gary Erskine illustrating designs overseen by former Marvel visual‑development veteran Anthony Francisco; the first volume ships on Halloween and is already available for preorder online. Depp will lend his likeness to Hyde and “provide input on every facet,” calling the collaboration “insane and beautiful” while hailing Scott as “a master.” Scott, through his Scott Free banner, labeled the pitch “a no‑brainer” and has appointed executive Tom Moran to shepherd potential screen offshoots.
Negron says the aim is to bypass traditional gatekeepers and build a fan‑led franchise that can leap from page to film, echoing the path of Keanu Reeves’s BRZRKR, which expanded from comics to an in‑development Netflix feature and anime series after selling more than 600,000 copies of its first issue. Analysts agree the strategy reflects a broader push by creators to nurture transmedia properties outside the studio system.
Yet some observers warn that Depp’s involvement could rekindle controversies that shadowed his earlier Comic‑Con appearances, when domestic‑violence allegations prompted protests and calls for boycotts. Mechanical Cake nonetheless expects the actor’s global fan base to boost initial sales and has reserved film, television and gaming rights should demand warrant rapid adaptation.
