Disney kept the Pirates of the Caribbean film series afloat for nearly a decade and a half with Johnny Depp leading the charge as Jack Sparrow, but the franchise is now embarking in a new direction. Earlier this year, it was reported that Margot Robbie is attached to star in and produce a spinoff Pirates of the Caribbean movie, not to be confused with the sixth entry in the main film series that’s also in development.
As of yet, Disney hasn’t officially announced that this Pirates of the Caribbean spinoff is moving forward, and for now, Margot Robbie is also keeping tight-lipped about the project. Here’s how the actress responded when questioned about her involvement in the Pirates franchise during her appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast:
Maybe. It's early days. I shan't say no more… for now.
Well, that’s not a denial, but clearly Margot Robbie isn’t ready to shed any light on what we can expect from her Pirates of the Caribbean movie. To be sure, this project is in its earliest stages, with Bumblebee and Birds of Prey screenwriter Christina Hodson tackling the script. So it may be a while before Robbie feels comfortable sharing specific details about what this Pirates spinoff will deliver to the masses.
Still, considering Margot Robbie’s star power, from her time as Harley Quinn in the DC Extended Universe to starring in accoladed fare like I, Tonya and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, she certainly has what it takes to anchor her own corner of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. So far, all we know about this spinoff is that it will be a “a wholly original story with new characters under the Pirates moniker.” In other words, while it will presumably be set in the same world that Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann and their ilk have been running around i, we probably shouldn’t expect any of those familiar faces to pop up in the Robbie-led movie.
As far as the main Pirates of the Caribbean film series is concerned, when last we heard, the “reboot” was being tackled by Chernobyl’s Craig Mazin and Ted Elliot, the latter of whom wrote all of the Pirates movies except for Dead Men Tell No Tales. While it’s looking like the next main Pirates movie will also feature a new lead, following Johnny Depp stepping down as Gellert Grindelwald in the Fantastic Beasts franchise, there’s a petition going around to have him be brought back as Jack Sparrow.
The future of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is currently shrouded in mystery, but clearly Disney wants to keep this blockbuster saga going. Whether it will be with both of these movies or one will edge the other out remains to be seen, though I suspect Margot Robbie’s involvement will give the spinoff better odds should that be the case. Rest assured, once more concrete information comes in about either of these two movies, we here at CinemaBlend will let you know.
In the meantime, Margot Robbie’s other upcoming movies include Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway and The Suicide Squad, both of which will be released next year. Find out what other movies are on track to drop in 2021 with our handy release schedule.
