Johnny Depp may once again don the hat and compass of Captain Jack Sparrow for a sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film, according to the franchise’s long-time producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Bruckheimer revealed he had recently discussed the idea with the actor and remains optimistic about Depp’s return.
«If he likes how the role is written, I think he would do it,» Bruckheimer said. «It’s all about what’s on the page… We’re still working on the screenplay. We want to make it, but we need to get it right. We’re close.»
Depp led the first five Pirates films between 2003 and 2017, each grossing more than $650 mln worldwide. Two of them – Dead Man’s Chest (2006) and On Stranger Tides (2011) – crossed the $1 bn mark. Altogether, the series has taken $4.5 bn at the global box office.
A Career Rebound
The actor’s future with Disney had been uncertain following his high-profile legal battles, including his 2022 defamation case against Amber Heard. Now, with Depp staging a comeback through the Lionsgate action-thriller Day Drinker, speculation has grown over whether he will once again join Disney’s swashbuckling franchise.
The road to Pirates 6 has been long. Disney began exploring two separate projects in 2020 – a reboot starring Margot Robbie and another instalment in the original storyline, co-written by Craig Mazin and Ted Elliott, a key writer of the earlier films. Robbie later said her film was no longer in active development, though Bruckheimer maintained that both ideas could still move forward.
Script Still in the Works
The script for the sixth film is currently in the hands of Jeff Nathanson, writer of Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017). Bruckheimer has praised his latest draft, noting that the third act is amazing but the first two need refining. Whether this script builds on Mazin’s earlier version or is entirely new remains unknown. Mazin previously described his take on the story as «too weird» for Disney to approve, yet they did, only for work to be paused during the Hollywood strikes.
Bruckheimer has said he would happily bring Depp back for the Nathanson-led version, calling him a «good friend» and «an amazing artist» who created a unique Jack Sparrow by blending elements of Pepé Le Pew and Keith Richards.
From Courtroom to Comeback
Depp’s last major Hollywood studio film was Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018). He was replaced in the sequel after losing a UK libel case against The Sun newspaper, which had called him a «wife beater». The US trial with Heard ended more favourably for Depp, with a jury finding that she had defamed him, though also ruling that he had defamed her in response.
For now, fans must wait to see if the Black Pearl will set sail once more with Captain Jack at the helm.
