It’s been nearly 6 years since the last Pirates of the Caribbean movie premiered – so what do we know about the franchise’s future?
Drink up me hearties, yo ho, as the question of whether or not we’ll ever get a Pirates of the Caribbean 6 is a complicated one. The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise was one of Disney’s biggest long-shots back when it first premiered in 2003, yet it eventually turned into one of the most profitable franchises that the studio could have ever hoped for. While the first film is still arguably the pinnacle of the entire franchise, it doesn’t mean that fans and audiences haven’t enjoyed watching the sequels as the decades have rolled on.
That being said, Pirates of the Caribbean hasn’t released a new instalment in nearly 6 years and fans are starting to get a little antsy about when they’ll get to return to the briny deep. Of course, audiences can’t be too hasty as the franchise has had several ups and downs over the past few years (most notably the controversy surrounding the premature firing of Johnny Depp) that caused any future projects to be put on the back-burner, so to speak.
All of the problems aside, producer Jerry Bruckheimer has insisted that the franchise still has wind in it’s sails and that a sixth Pirates movies isn’t just a possibility, it’s imminent. So, with the franchise bound to make a comeback, let’s take a look at exactly what we know about the future installment.
Johnny Depp Future Unknown
The biggest question on every fans mind regarding the next Pirates movie isn’t necessarily what the story will be – it’s whether or not Johnny Depp will come back. And the answer is that nobody knows at the moment. On the one hand, it would seem light a bit of a stretch for Depp to come back considering how poorly he was treated by the studio in the wake of what happened between him and his ex-wife, Amber Heard. However, since the truth about the controversy has been resolved and Depp’s reputation has been restored, loyal fans have been begging for Depp to return to the big-screen and give Jack Sparrow another go. There were rumors circulating last year that Depp wanted a staggering $300 million to return to the franchise, but that myth was quickly debunked.
As for the studio’s opinion on Depp returning, Bruckheimer has insisted that he considers Depp a friend and that he would welcome him back into the franchise with open arms. “He’s a friend, a terrific actor,” the producer stated, concluding with, “it’s unfortunate that personal lives creep into everything we do.” Certainly seems like Bruckheimer wants him back, but again, nothing has been confirmed on whether or not that’s what Depp wants to do. Will Depp be part of Pirates of the Caribbean 6? It’s anyone’s guess at this point.
Orlando Bloom & Keira Knightley Future
While Bruckheimer has confirmed that a sixth Pirates movie is in the work, all he has technically stated is that the studio has a script and story that he believes is virtually ready for production. He has also confirmed that the script doesn’t include Jack Sparrow simply because Depp has been mum on whether or not he would return to the franchise. Aside from that, anything else is merely speculation based on Bruckheimer’s comments.
So what exactly might the script that Bruckheimer mentioned include? Well, if the most notable character from the franchise won’t return, why not bring in the next two fan-favorite characters? Will & Elizabeth Turner might not have had the on-screen presence that Jack Sparrow had, but nevertheless they were key players in the original trilogy and (more importantly) had a story that was left open-ended with the conclusion of the last film. If a script for a sixth movie is truly ready, it would make plenty of sense for Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley to be the protagonists in Pirates of the Caribbean 6.
Might Star a Younger Cast
Again, nothing has been confirmed on the sixth script other than the fact that there is one and Jack Sparrow isn’t included. While fans would love to see Will & Elizabeth Turner’s story play out, the studio might argue that the franchise needs a bit of change with the exit of Jack Sparrow’s character.
For example, there are reports that the sixth movie in the franchise may very well be a complete reboot of the franchise and leave behind the the stories of Captain Jack Sparrow, Will and Elizabeth Turner, and all the other characters that fans have come to know over the years. In fact, Bruckheimer went on record stating that the studio has two different scripts in the works and that one of them does indeed center around a younger cast. If the younger cast script does indeed come to fruition, there are rumors that actor Dylan O’Brien or actress Maya Hawke could be targeted to star in the reboot.
7th Film Starring Margot Robbie in the Works
While there’s been very little confirmed about the next film in the Pirates franchise, something that Bruckheimer has also promised is true is that the second of the script’s they’re working on is set to star Margot Robbie as the protagonist. Last year, Robbie made a comment that she thought the plans for her movie were dead in the water, however Bruckheimer has doubled-down and insisted that the film is still in the works.
Bruckheimer did state that Robbie’s comments could have been a misinterpretation about the fact that the studio is focusing on the first of their two scripts rather than hers. Regarding the two projects, he was quoted saying, “the Margot Robbie one needs work. The younger cast one is close. Hopefully we’ll get them both.” But Bruckheimer did make sure to confirm that Robbie joining the Pirates franchise at some point in the future is absolutely part of his plan by saying, “it’s alive for me. It’s alive for Disney… we believe we’ll get it made. It’s a very strong story.”
Won’t Be Coming Out for a While
Since the only true confirmation that fans have about the upcoming movie is that there’s a script close-to-ready for production, it can be presumed that the film won’t be hitting screens for a very long time. Even taking into account how massive Disney is as a studio, the franchise would have to work miracles in order to get the cast & crew necessary for such a production together so quickly. Keeping that in mind, the next installment arriving anytime before late 2025 would be a long-shot, and even that potential premiere date is a best-case-scenario.
For now, fans will just have to be happy knowing that a sixth film is on the horizon and hope for more conclusive information as the ship sails closer to shore.