Johnny Depp is in negotiations to play Pancho Villa. I hope this still leaves him time to play Sancho Panza whenever Terry Gilliam’s Don Quixote movie relaunches. One way or another, he’s speaking Spanish.

Variety says the Pancho Villa movie in question is a biopic called Seven Friends of Pancho Villa and the Woman With Six Fingers. According to my sources this may be the coolest title for a biopic ever. Wait, yes, I’ve just confirmed it. This is indeed the coolest ever title for a biopic. Take that Walk the Line.

Seven Friends of Pancho Villa and the Woman With Six Fingers will be directed by Serbian Emir Kusturica who recently completed the script with help from a dude named Gordan Mihic. It’s based on a biographical novel with a similar and yet infinitely less cool name. They’re hoping to start shooting on 2011 though that depends on when Depp is available.

It may also depend on Salma Hayek who is in talks to co-star. She has to play the Six Fingered Woman doesn’t she? Hot chicks with strange disfigurations are her stock and trade. Whether it’s unibrows, beards, or extra digits physical oddity has sort of become her thing.

So who was Pancho Villa? You’re probably thinking of a guy with a big hat and you’re right about that. But he was more than just oversized headwear. Villa was a Mexican revolutionary hero who ran the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua and even though it’s untrue I’m going to say he also invented the tiny breed of dog which Paris Hilton now carries around in her hand bag. In addition to his fictional work in animal husbandry Villa is known as a freedom fighter and a bandit, a rogue and a hero. He’s been done on screen before, but never done well. Handing him over to Johnny Depp’s often unconventional interpretations should be interesting.