Jerry Bruckheimer Confirms Talks with Johnny Depp for Pirates 6
After years of uncertainty over the sixth film, producer Jerry Bruckheimer has confirmed that discussions are under way with Depp. Speaking to Deadline at D23, Bruckheimer said, ‘We’re talking with Johnny, we’re working on a screenplay, and hopefully we can get this done.’
If he likes the way the part’s written, I think he would do it, Bruckheimer told EW. It’s all about what’s on the page, as we all know… We are still working on a screenplay. We want to make it. We just got to get the right screenplay. We haven’t quite gotten there yet, but we’re close.
Will Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow Take a Backseat to Margot Robbie?
While Bruckheimer has confirmed discussions with Depp, sources familiar with the project told Variety that Pirates 6 may not simply continue as another Jack Sparrow-led adventure. According to the latest update, the new film could instead place Margot Robbie’s character at the centre of the story, with Depp’s Sparrow potentially appearing in a supporting role.
But according to Deadline, the sixth instalment is expected to focus on a protagonist played by Margot Robbie, with Depp’s Sparrow returning as a side character. Jack Sparrow may be back but the franchise is looking elsewhere.
Rather than simply bringing Depp back and rebuilding the series around Sparrow, Disney appears to be considering a version that uses the character while creating room for someone new to take the story forward.
The Craig Mazin Pirates of the Caribbean Script
Variety reported in summer 2020 that Disney was in early development on two Pirates movies: A reboot led by Margot Robbie and a sixth film in the original franchise written by Craig Mazin and Ted Elliott, the latter of whom co-wrote the first four Pirates movies.
Mazin told the Los Angeles Times last year that his script for Pirates 6″ was so weird he was surprised Disney signed off on it, adding: We pitched it and thought there’s no way they’re buying it, it’s too weird. And they did! And then we wrote a fantastic script and the strike happened and everyone’s waiting around.
The Future of the Pirates of the Caribbean Reboot Cast
Depp headlined five Pirates movies from 2003 to 2017, all of which grossed more than $650 million at the worldwide box office. 2006’s Dead Man’s Chest and 2011’s On Stranger Tides both topped the $1 billion mark.
With Depp front and center, the Pirates movies have collectively grossed $4.5 billion.
The biggest surprise about Johnny Depp’s possible return to Pirates of the Caribbean may not be that Jack Sparrow is coming back. It is that he may no longer be the pirate at the centre of the story.
The Pirates of the Caribbean Movies in Order
The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise launched Johnny Depp into megastardom and put pirates back on the cultural treasure map, all beginning with 2003’s The Curse of the Black Pearl.
Transporting film fans back to the 18th century’s Golden Age of Piracy, The Curse of the Black Pearl made its cinema debut in 2003. In this introductory tale, Johnny Depp is joined on screen by Orlando Bloom, who plays an accomplished blacksmith named Will Turner and Keira Knightly, who plays the classic damsel-in-distress, Elizabeth Swan.
If you want to watch the Pirates of the Caribbean movies in order, set sail with Captain Jack Sparrow and his two lovely assistants Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner (Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom) towards Dead Man’s Chest and At Worlds End. With that trilogy closed, the series continued on with the further adventures of Jack with On Stranger Tides and Dead Men Tell No Tales.
The film was followed by four sequels: Dead Man’s Chest (2006), At World’s End (2007), On Stranger Tides (2011), and Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017).
Johnny Depp’s Run as Jack Sparrow
The debut film introduces us to the series’ main characters: Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp), Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), and Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush).
This cracking five-part film series had a positive reception from audiences and film critics, raking in a grand box office total of $4.5 billion worldwide.
Worldwide Box Office $654,310,819
Leo Falsafi is a digital marketing veteran and senior journalist at Virlan.co, where he covers the intersection of digital marketing, gaming, and breaking US trending news. With nearly two decades of hands-on experience in SEO and digital strategy, Leo has consulted for and scaled hundreds of companies. His deep industry roots allow him to deliver sharp, fact-checked insights and analysis on the trends shaping today’s digital landscape.
