Jerry Bruckheimer has confirmed that Disney is talking with Johnny Depp about bringing Captain Jack Sparrow back for Pirates of the Caribbean 6. Speaking to Deadline at D23 this weekend, the producer said the long-gestating sequel has a screenplay in the works.
“We’re talking with Johnny [Depp]. We’re working on a screenplay, and hopefully we can get this done.”
Jerry Bruckheimer, to Deadline at D23
What we know about Pirates of the Caribbean 6
Deadline reports the next chapter will not be another Jack Sparrow solo outing. Its sources say the film centres on Margot Robbie’s protagonist, with Sparrow appearing as a side character — an evolution of the franchise rather than a retread. Robbie was first attached to a solo spinoff, then to the centre of the sixth film, where IGN says her name has sat for years.
The series has been at sea since 2017’s Dead Men Tell No Tales, the lowest-grossing instalment at $795.9M worldwide. Through five films since The Curse of the Black Pearl in 2003, the franchise has taken $4.5B at the global box office. Bruckheimer has wanted Depp back throughout, even as Disney explored other routes after the actor’s legal battle with Amber Heard.
Depp’s return to mainstream roles is already under way: he leads Ebeneezer, a new take on A Christmas Carol due in cinemas this Christmas, opposite Ian McKellen, Daisy Ridley and Rupert Grint. Orlando Bloom has said he wants “everybody back” for the next film.
No release date has been set, and Depp’s involvement remains a conversation rather than a contract. Nine years after the last voyage, a screenplay and an open line to Jack Sparrow is the most movement the franchise has shown.
Is Johnny Depp returning as Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean 6?
Not confirmed yet. Bruckheimer told Deadline at D23 that Disney is talking with Depp and working on a screenplay, but no deal has been announced.
When is Pirates of the Caribbean 6 coming out?
No release date has been set. The most recent film, Dead Men Tell No Tales, arrived in 2017.
Who else is involved in Pirates of the Caribbean 6?
Deadline reports the next instalment centres on Margot Robbie’s character, with Jack Sparrow appearing as a side character. Disney has not confirmed the cast.
