Paul McCartney is set to join the cast of the upcoming sequel Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.
According to Deadline, the former Beatle is integral to a new set piece being added to the film, which has already finished shooting. It would be the franchise’s second cameo from a major musician, after Keith Richards’ role as Captain Jack Sparrow’s father in 2007’s Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.
Johnny Depp will reprise his role as Sparrow in the fifth film, spearheading a cast that includes returning cast-members Geoffrey Rush and Orlando Bloom, with Javier Bardem taking on lead villain duties.
The film will be directed by Norwegian duo Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, best known for the Oscar-nominated drama Kon-Tiki. It has already been in the news after Depp’s wife, the actor Amber Heard, allegedly attempted to illegally bring his dogs into Australia for the shoot.
Captain Jack is back and we're not letting him go. pic.twitter.com/m6VVRTyFQm
— JERRY BRUCKHEIMER (@BRUCKHEIMERJB) April 21, 2015
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer tweeted the above image as the first tease from the film. It’s been reported that Depp’s role has been made smaller to make more room for Bardem’s character. Depp has previously said it will “probably” be the last Pirates movie.
Despite wavering critical reception (the previous film received just a 32% rating on Rotten Tomatoes), the franchise has made over $3.7bn at the worldwide box office. Disney is reportedly spending over $250m on the fifth chapter.
