Johnny Depp's comeback on Cannes red carpet brews storm and unrest at French Riviera

Johnny Depp made a starry comeback on the red carpet at Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday. The actor was feted by fans as he arrived on the red carpet for the screening of his comeback movie at the opening of the Cannes Film Festival, which has sparked anger over the choice to celebrate the divisive megastar.

Depp, 59, sporting a ponytail and shades, spent several minutes schmoozing with screaming fans, posing for selfies and signing autographs. Depp then posed for cameras before heading inside the theatre for the the screening of French period drama Jeanne du Barry, in which he plays King Louis XV. 

He joined stars such as Uma Thurman, Helen Mirren and Elle Fanning, for the first night of the industry shindig on the French Riviera.

Michael Douglas also received an honorary Palme d'Or, with the 78-year-old joking about the fact he is two years older than the festival. Douglas came in with his wife Catherine Zeta Jones and the couple's daughter. 

"This means so much to me because there are hundreds of festivals around the world but there's only one Cannes," he said.

Depp's appearance at the red carpet was a controversial one and was met with some opposition. The film marks Depp's comeback after a bitter legal fight with ex wife Amber Heard last year. Although he won the US court battle against Heard, his megastar image nosediving in the US as the case brought to light a turbulent private life involving alcohol, drugs and domestic abuse allegations.

- 'Violence in creative circles' -

Although the film is playing out of competition, the jury for the Palme d'Or was asked about Depp's presence on Tuesday morning.

Jury member Brie Larson, star of Captain Marvel and an outspoken MeToo supporter, looked flustered. 

"You are asking me that? I don't understand... Why me specifically?" she said.  "I don't know how I feel about it," she added, curtly.

There was anger online, however, with a friend of Heard, journalist Eve Barlow, started a new hashtag -- #CannesYouNot -- criticising the decision to invite Depp. 

"Cannes seem proud of their history supporting rapists and abusers," Barlow wrote on Instagram, with pictures of Depp alongside past Cannes regulars such as Harvey Weinstein, Roman Polanski and Gerard Depardieu -- all of whom have faced sexual assault allegations.

On Monday, festival director Thierry Fremaux said he was not interested in Depp's legal woes, saying: "I am interested in Depp the actor." 

A group of 123 French film industry workers also denounced the festival for "rolling out the red carpet to men and women who commit assaults."