UPDATE! It looks like our fears were justified. Not long after this story was first published Disney chairman Alan Horn spoke on the subject of Pirates of the Caribbean 5 and revealed that they still don't have a screenplay they like. If the movie happens at all, it's likely to be pretty far off.
What follows is our original Pirates of the Caribbean 5 report...
Are you pumped about Pirates Of The Caribbean 5? After years of whispers, the film finally has a title, a rumored plot and a pair of directors. That’s real momentum, right? Wrong. Unfortunately for those seriously on board with the franchise, Dead Men Tell No Tales is apparently still lacking the most important detail of all: a green light.
Speaking at the Disney shareholders meeting in Portland, Oregon, Chairman Bob Iger opened up about a wide variety of issues including Pixar sequels, Star Wars and Pirates Of The Caribbean, and that latest franchise reference didn’t exactly come with good news. According to the head honcho, there's no longer a guarantee number five is even still happening.
Here’s what Variety writer Marc Graser tweeted…
After a few years of sporadic announcements, the Pirates 5 talk started to get a lot more serious last summer. The Dead Men Tell No Tales portion of the title became official. A release date was eyed for 2016 and Oscar winner Christoph Waltz was allegedly approached about playing the villain. To most outsiders, all of that information plus previously announced screenwriters plus the fact that the franchise has made more than $3 billion was enough for most to assume Disney was committed to going to the well again, but apparently, everyone involved is still in wait and see mode.
Over the last few years, a trend has emerged in which studios announce release dates and casting information before the first installment in a potential series is even released. That, in theory, gives fans a little more confidence and reason to give the movie a chance. Given how well Pirates is already known and how built up the fanbase is, however, Disney obviously doesn’t think confidence and bad press will have any affect on whether the movie turns a profit or not down the road, if it ends up getting made.
Given the theme park tie-ins and all the foreign grosses that can be made, Pirates 5 will probably still happen at some point. I’m not sure I would bet anything on the film making a 2016 appearance, however. It takes a year or so to get just the pre-production handled for splashy movies like this. So, by the time you start securing locations and hiring actors, we would be looking at mid 2016 if Dead Men Tell No Tales got a green light tomorrow.
We’ll keep you updated.
