First Look at Johnny Depp in 'Transcendence'

What does it look like when Johnny Depp breaks free of Tim Burton's clutches? Based on the first look at Transcendence, Depp's upcoming film, the answer to that question is "pretty normal."

"I don’t think we've seen him this way in a long time,” Transcendence director Wally Pfister told Entertainment Weekly. "Just a pair of glasses on and a pretty normal haircut."

Transcendence is the first movie directed by Pfister, the longtime cinematographer of Christopher Nolan. The movie, due in theaters on April 18, 2014, stars Depp, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy and Rebecca Hall. Here's what EW has to say about the plot of Transcendence:

Depp plays a computer scientist ­studying “the singularity,” the point at which artificial intelligence will surpass human intelligence. “It’s a very timely subject as we find we have to update the software on our cell phones before we can even make a call,” says Pfister. Depp’s character literally gets uploaded into the mainframe, becoming a ghost in the machine after he’s attacked by anti-technology activists.

The movie sounds interesting, and I'm extremely happy to see Depp working with someone who's hopefully requiring more than a funny voice and some strange makeup from the actor. After repeatedly working with Burton on projects that were just rehashes of each other (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland and Dark Shadows), Depp had gotten stale. He was just going through the motions. Working with Pfister, a protege of Nolan, on Transcendence could be just what he needs to spark his career.