Johnny Depp could once again set sail as Captain Jack Sparrow — but only if the story is right. In a new interview, longtime Pirates of the Caribbean producer Jerry Bruckheimer revealed that he’s spoken to Depp about returning for a sixth film in Disney’s blockbuster franchise, and he’s feeling optimistic.
“If he likes the way the part’s written, I think he would do it,” Bruckheimer said. “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.”
Depp fronted all five Pirates movies from 2003 to 2017, each grossing more than $650 million worldwide, with Dead Man’s Chest (2006) and On Stranger Tides (2011) crossing the $1 billion mark. In total, the series has earned $4.5 billion globally, with Jack Sparrow’s swagger — a mix of Pepé Le Pew and Keith Richards, as Bruckheimer describes it — becoming one of modern cinema’s most recognizable characters.
The actor’s return has been the subject of speculation ever since his legal battles and public fallout with Disney. Following his 2022 defamation trial against Amber Heard, Depp has begun a slow Hollywood comeback, including the upcoming Lionsgate action-thriller Day Drinker.
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The road to Pirates 6 has been a long one. In 2020, Disney began developing two projects: a reboot starring Margot Robbie, and a continuation of the original series co-written by Pirates veteran Ted Elliott and The Last of Us creator Craig Mazin. Robbie later claimed her film had been shelved, though Bruckheimer insists there’s room for both projects. In the meantime, Dead Men Tell No Tales screenwriter Jeff Nathanson joined the sixth film and, according to Bruckheimer, “cracked” an “amazing third act” — though the first two still need work.
Whether Nathanson’s draft builds on Mazin’s reportedly “weird” script or is a brand-new take is unclear, but Bruckheimer says Depp’s return isn’t off the table. “It’s a reboot, but if it was up to me, [Johnny] 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 not on the page… That was his interpretation of Jack Sparrow.”
Stay tuned to Collider for more updates on Pirates of the Caribbean.
