AceShowbiz -

Johnny Depp may portray Whitey Bulger after all. The John Dillinger of "Public Enemies", who was attached to "Black Mass" in February last year but dropped out later in May, is now reportedly back on board the project to play the Boston crime kingpin-turned-fugitive.

Depp was originally expected to take the lead role in the crime thriller when Barry Levinson was attached to direct. He later exited the project reportedly due to money issue as report said he was asked to reduce his usual $20 million salary to "somewhere around $15 million."

Tom Cruise was then linked to the project to replace Depp. However, talks with Depp rekindled last month as "Crazy Heart" helmer Scott Cooper is now set to take the directing duty.

Depp may share screen with Tom Hardy, who has just emerged as a potential actor to play FBI agen John Connolly, who happens to be Bulger's childhood. Connolly himself ends up in prison for tipping Bulger that he was about to be indicted. Joel Edgerton was intially tapped to play Connolly.

Mark Mallouk adapted Dick Lehr and Gerald O'Neill's best-selling book "Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob" into the screenplay for the movie. Brian Oliver, Tyler Thompson, John Lesher and Christi Dembrowski will produce the movie, which eyes a May start date.