Depp's half brother signs book deal

Johnny Depp's half brother has signed a publishing deal for his debut novel.

Simon and Schuster bought the British rights to Loser's Town by former journalist Daniel P. Depp, while publishers in Canada, Hungary and France have also snapped it up.

A spokesman for the firm said the thriller, which is set in the Hollywood Hills, will be published in the UK next spring.

Daniel's literary agent Meg Davis told The Independent: "It's about a fictitious gangster who decides the only way to get someone to make his film is to blackmail a famous actor to be in it."

She added that the story is "purely fictitious" and has no connection to Johnny's life.

Daniel launched production company Scaramanga Bros with his famous relative in 1990. The pair worked together on 1997 film The Brave.