It's been 15 years since Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl hit theaters, launching a film franchise that far exceeded the popularity of the Disneyland attraction that first movie was based on. With five movies under the proverbial belt, Pirates of the Caribbean is the 12th highest grossing film series of all time, and since the release of Dead Men Tell No Tales last year, there's been talk about churning out a sixth movie. However, now word's come in that Disney is mulling over hitting the reboot button instead, with writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick handling the new story.
Best known for penning the Deadpool movies, Zombieland and Life, Deadline reports that Rheet Reese and Paul Wernick are in early talks with Disney about penning a Pirates of the Caribbean reboot. To clarify, this particular project hasn't received an official green light yet, but in addition to Reese and Wernick tackling the script, Jerry Bruckheimer would remain as producer. What's uncertain, however, is if Johnny Depp or any of the other actors from the first five movies would be involved in any way.
Given how loosely the term 'reboot' is thrown around Hollywood, there's two directions I imagine Disney is considering for the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. The first is that this next movie would be set in the same continuity as the previous movies, but ditch Captain Jack Sparrow and his crew in favor of new/previously minor characters.
The second is that Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick would truly start from scratch and ignore the other Pirates of the Caribbean movies. This option paves the way for either another actor to play Jack Sparrow or, like the first option, spotlight a new cast.
Although Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was both a critical and commercial hit upon release in 2003, its sequels have had a tougher time in the critical reception department, drawing in mixed-to-negative reviews. Commercially, these movies have fared much better, although Dead Men Tell No Tales only made $794.9 million worldwide last year, making it the second-lowest grossing entry in the film series, with Curse of the Black Pearl ranking last.
Development of a Pirates of the Caribbean 6 was confirmed around this time last year, but apparently now Disney is considering taking the franchise in a different direction after a decade and a half. Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick certainly have plenty of blockbuster cred, so one would hope that they could put a fresh, invigorating spin on these swashbuckling pirates. It's also worth noting that this wouldn't be the only reboot the duo tackles, as they're also writing a new Clue movie.
We here at CinemaBlend will be sure to keep you updated on the latest concerning the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, whether this reboot goes forward or a traditional sequel comes out instead. For now, find out what movies are coming out over the next year in our 2018 and 2019 release schedules.
