For years, it seemed Johnny Depp’s swashbuckling days as Captain Jack Sparrow (one of his best performances) were over. Disney severed ties with the actor in 2018, and during his highly publicized 2022 defamation trial with ex-wife Amber Heard, the Edward Scissorhands actor famously declared he wouldn’t return “for $300 million and a million alpacas.” Now, Pirates of the Caribbean producer Jerry Bruckheimer says the tide may be turning.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Bruckheimer revealed that he has spoken to Depp about coming back for the sixth Pirates film, and the actor is at least open to the idea. The famous Producer explained:
If he likes the way the part's written, I think he would do it. It's all about what's on the page, as we all know.
It’s been a long eight years since Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales hit theaters in 2017, reuniting the former 21 Jump Street performer with Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley. Talks of a sixth film have been swirling since at least 2019, but the project has been stalled by script rewrites, shifting creative visions, including a version that would have starred Margot Robbie, but has reportedly been shelved, and most recently, the 2023 dual Hollywood strikes.
Bruckheimer confirmed the new installment is still in active development. Craig Mazin (The Last of Us) was initially collaborating with original series writer Ted Elliott before the strikes, but Jeff Nathanson (Dead Men Tell No Tales) has since taken the lead.
The longtime Pirates of the Caribbean shepherd has described the upcoming movie as a reboot, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a Sparrow-less voyage. He was previously quoted, saying:
It’s a reboot, but if it was up to me, he would be in it… I love him. He’s a good friend. He’s an amazing artist, and he’s a unique look. He created Captain Jack… That was his interpretation, and it became iconic.
Depp’s influence on the character is the stuff of Hollywood legend. Jack Sparrow’s eccentric blend of Pepé Le Pew charm and Keith Richards swagger wasn’t in the original script, but was the actor’s invention. And it’s hard to imagine the franchise without it.
If the Ed Wood star does step back into Captain Jack’s boots, it would signal a major thaw in his post-2018 split with Disney and years of self-imposed distance from Hollywood studio fare. The Pirates of the Caribbean producer once admitted he couldn’t secure even a cameo for Depp in future installments. Since the trial, the actor has largely focused on independent projects, but Bruckheimer believes the right script could lure him back to the helm.
That’s the caveat: the script needs to be something the Rango star feels is worthy of Jack’s return. As Bruckheimer puts it, “It’s all about what’s on the page.” Until that’s locked, the Black Pearl’s course remains uncertain. But for fans, the fact that Johnny Depp and Jerry Bruckheimer are talking and that the door isn’t closed might be the most hopeful sign in years.
As we wait for more news on the possible return of Captain Jack, fans of the Pirates franchise can revisit the first five installments with their Disney+ subscription.
