It seemed up to just a few months ago that a return of Johnny Depp to any upcoming movies in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise was highly doubtful. During the Edward Scissorhands actor’s highly publicized defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife Amber Heard, the actor’s thoughts regarding his return to the Pirates series were revealed. The actor hid giggles as a Disney production exec was questioned about the star’s alleged comments of not returning to the series for anything less than “$300 million and a million alpacas”. Well, the studio must have found those alpacas because the series’ long-time producer Jerry Bruckheimer teases a return of Captain Jack.
In a new interview with the Associated Press Entertainment, the legendary Hollywood producer is asked point blank whether we could see a return of the fan-favorite rum-drinking Captain. Though Bruckheimer is quick to say nothing is set in stone, he does say the studio is taking baby steps towards finalizing a screenplay that would see the return of Captain Jack. He said:
We’re still working on it. Nothing is definitive yet, but we continue to take little baby steps getting towards a screenplay.
The news might shock fans because the franchise has been in stasis since 2017’s Dead Men Tell No Tells, and there have been on-again-off-again rumors of a Margot Robie-helmed spinoff. Bruckheimer recently spoke candidly about the series moving on without Depp’s involvement. However, he did leave the door open for the future. It’s unclear whether the hold-up on a continuation of the main series (Pirates 6) rather than a spinoff is with the execs at Disney or Depp. Still, given the way the actor and the studio have both spoken fairly negatively about a potential Jack Sparrow return, it could be either. You can see them for yourself below,
"We're still working on it" - producer Jerry Bruckheimer discusses Johnny Depp's potential return to "Pirates of the Caribbean" pic.twitter.com/GrIre7W4bmDecember 13, 2022
However, Jerry Bruckheimer’s comments to AP Entertainment suggest there is real movement regarding Depp’s return to the series. I, for one, given the differing quality in the mainline franchise (see our ranking of all five films), would be very open to a Margot Robbie-produced Pirates film. Seeing how promising the Barbie first looks have been (which the actress spearheaded), I think the I, Tonya star could bring a lot to the table with the franchise. I hope Disney can find room for both high-sailing movies to exist if Depp decides to return.
If there are any further developments on whether Disney has secured those one million alpacas for Johnny Depp’s return to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, we will be the first to let you know. Until then, long-time fans can rewatch all five of Jack Sparrow’s swashbuckling adventures with a Disney+ subscription. For all other news and to plan your next theatre-going experience, check out CinemaBlend’s 2023 schedule.
