Johnny Depp to play immortal wizard in `Skulduggery Pleasant`

London: Hollywood heartthrob Johnny Depp has been roped in to play an undead skeleton wizard, Skulduggery, in a new fantasy movie.

The `Tourist` star will play the lead character in in the wizard movie based on a nine-book fantasy series by Irish author Derek Landy, Contactmusic reported. The film slated for a 2013 release traces the story of 12-year-old Stephanie Edgley who is plunged into a magical world where she meets a skeleton wizard, played by Depp. "The books will make a fantastic series of films," a source said. However, it won`t be the first time the 47-year-old actor will be playing a swashbuckling character who is famous for his onscreen quirky and fantasy characters in films like `Pirates of the Caribbean` and `Snow White and the Huntsman`. PTI