Johnny Depp is to play an undead wizard in a new movie.

The 'Tourist' actor will star as the lead character in 'Skulduggery Pleasant', a nine-book fantasy series by Irish author Derek Landy.

The film, which is due to come out in 2013, tells the story of 12-year-old Stephanie Edgley who is plunged into a magical world where she meets a skeleton wizard, played by Johnny.

An insider said: "The books will make a fantastic series of films."

It won't be the first time the 47-year-old heartthrob will have played a swashbuckling character - he is well known for his performance as Jack Sparrow in the 'Pirates Of The Caribbean' franchise.

The star also seems to be a favourite to play fantasy roles, as he was also offered the lead part in 'Snow White and the Huntsman' last month.

He was reportedly the favourite for the film, which tells the story of the huntsman who defies the evil queen's orders to kill Snow White in the woods, after UK actor Tom Hardy, who wasn't available due to his filming commitments on Christopher Nolan's Batman movie 'The Dark Knight Rises'.