Johnny Depp Mayhem At 'Rum Diary' Premiere

The East Coast premiere of Johnny Depp's latest film, The Rum Diary, took place Tuesday night at the Museum of Modern Art in midtown Manhattan. A fight allegedly broke out during the screening of Depp's role as gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson's alter ego in the two-hour thriller.

"What Marlon Brando did to acting, in terms of just revolutionizing the art or the approach to it, Hunter did the same thing with journalism," the 48-year old actor told NY1. "He put himself, as Mark Twain did, in a sense, put himself deep into the situation. What we think are exaggerations, I promise you, I lived with the guy on and off for many years and these 'exaggerations' were quite on the money." The two were real-life friends who met at Woody Creek Tavern and bonded over bomb building, Depp told the Calgary Herald. After a bout with alcoholism, drug abuse and health issues, Thompson committed suicide in 2005.

The $45 million Rum project began filming in March 2009 and follows Thompson's alter ego Paul Kemp, an American journalist who accepts a position at a Puerto Rican newspaper during the 1950s. Shortly thereafter, he falls for an engaged woman — all while wallowing in the Caribbean island's signature rum. Aaron Eckhart, Michael Rispoli and Amber Heard also star in the movie. This marks the second time that Depp played a role inspired by Thompson; his first dive was with the writer's autobiography, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, released in 1998.

The Rum Diary will hit theatres nationwide this Friday. Next up for Depp is his role as Tonto in a film adaptation of The Lone Ranger, and a rumored gig as Dr. Suess in the children's author's biopic.