Five years since Johnny Depp’s last turn as Jack Sparrow, and it seems the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise is setting its sails elsewhere.
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer revealed that two more “Pirates” scripts are currently in development, but neither will include Depp’s Sparrow. Depp landed an Oscar nomination for “Pirates” installment “Curse of the Black Pearl,” and his last appearance in the Disney-owned franchise was in 2017’s “Dead Men Tell No Tales.”
“We’re talking to Margot Robbie. We are developing two Pirates scripts — one with her, one without,” Bruckheimer told The Sunday Times for a franchise update. “[Will Depp be back?] Not at this point. The future is yet to be decided.”
Robbie’s female-led pirate adventure film was announced in 2020, with executive producer and lead star Robbie collaborating again with “Birds of Prey” scribe Christina Hodson on the script for “Pirates of the Caribbean 6.”
Meanwhile, Depp is currently engaged in a $50 million defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife Amber Heard after the “Aquaman” actress penned an op-ed for The Washington Post alleging domestic abuse.
During the ongoing court case, Depp’s agent Jack Whigham testified on May 2 that Depp was slated to receive $22.5 million for the next “Pirates” film. However, Disney reportedly decided to go “in a different direction” after Heard’s piece was published.
Depp said during the trial that he hoped to finish off playing Jack Sparrow in the feature film series that has spanned almost 20 years.
“My feeling was that these characters should be able to have their proper goodbye, as it were,” Depp said. “A franchise can only last for so long, and there’s a way to end a franchise like that, and I thought that the characters deserved to have their way out, to end the franchise on a very good note. I planned on continuing until it was time to stop.”
Depp exited Warner Bros.’ “Fantastic Beasts” franchise in 2020, with Mads Mikkelsen taking over his role. The “Ed Wood” star additionally slammed distributors for allegedly “burying” biopic “Minimata.” Depp said he was being “boycotted by Hollywood” last year ahead of his court case being tried against Heard.
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