Although Johnny Depp had once stated that "nothing on this earth" could convince him to reprise his role as the iconic Jack Sparrow once again in a new Pirates of the Caribbean, he might still be open to the idea.
In a recent interview, producer Jerry Bruckheimer opened up about having discussions with Depp about a new Pirates film, and he feels optimistic.
"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... We are still working on a screenplay. We want to make it. We just have to get the right screenplay. We haven't quite gotten there yet, but we're close," the producer said, as per Variety.
If things go as planned, Depp could soon reprise his role in a sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film.
Bruckheimer had earlier said in an interview that he wanted Depp to return for the fan-favourite role although Disney had cut ties with the actor reportedly after an op-ed was published in 2018 on the domestic abuse faced by his ex-wife Amber Heard. Since then, the actor has been taking on independent projects outside of Hollywood. Depp’s last Hollywood studio movie was 2018’s Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.
Depp had headlined all five Pirates of the Carribean films from 2003 to 2017. All of them were box office hits. Dead Man's Chest and On Stranger Tides crossed the $1 million mark.
A new Pirates movie has been in development for a long time. First reported in 2020, it was earlier decided that two movies will be in the making, one of which will be a reboot led by Margot Robbie and the other, an original film written by Craig Mazin and Ted Elliott.
In a November 2022 interview with Vanity Fair, Margot Robbie revealed that Disney had seemingly lost interest in her version of a more female-centric Pirates of the Caribbean film. However, producer Jerry Bruckheimer later suggested otherwise in a conversation with Entertainment Weekly, stating that there’s room for both Pirates projects and that Disney is still eager to move forward with Robbie’s film.
Meanwhile, Bruckheimer also confirmed to EW last summer that Jeff Nathanson, who penned the screenplay for 2017’s Dead Men Tell No Tales, has come on board to write the other Pirates installment.