Actor Johnny Depp a lock for 'Transcendence' role Johnny Depp attends the premiere of 'West of Memphis' at the Ryerson Theatre during the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto, Canada on September 8, 2012. LOS ANGELES, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- Hollywood actor Johnny Depp is in negotiations to star in cinematographer Wally Pfister's directorial debut, "Transcendence," producers said. The announcement was made Wednesday by Alcon co-founders Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove. The plot is being kept under wraps. Principal photography is set to begin early next year. Alcon said it will release the film through its output deal with Warner Bros. I'm thrilled, and feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Johnny. He is a creative and intelligent artist whom I feel will bring great depth to the character and the overall narrative," Pfister, who has worked on Christopher Nolan's hits "Memento," "Inception" and "The Dark Knight Rises," said in a statement.