HOLLYWOOD -- In the supernatural thriller The Ninth Gate, opening Friday, Johnny Depp tries to conjure up Satan.

Depp admits he had a devil of a time making the film with director Roman Polanski.

"It was not an easy film to make. Roman is pretty set in his ways. There's not much opportunity for discussion or collaboration," says Depp.

"He was definitely a bit too rigid for my liking."

The Ninth Gate is the first film Polanski has made since John Travolta walked off the set of Double in 1996, sparking a $50-million US lawsuit against the actor.

The producers of Double said they had spent $50 million in preproduction costs and had to eventually scrap the movie.

Travolta felt Polanski was becoming too tyrannical, even going as far as trying to give the actor actual line readings.

"I'd heard Roman could be extremely rigid and he was, but he never actually tried to give me line readings," says Depp

"If he had, I'd probably still be in jail."

After completing The Ninth Gate, Depp worked with Tim Burton on Sleepy Hollow.

"Tim is true collaborator. He loves and respects actors. Working with Tim was like an exorcism. It was a wonderful cleansing."


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