Jerry Bruckheimer, the producer of "Pirates of the Caribbean," has revealed more details about the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean reboot, expressing his desire for Johnny Depp to be part of the franchise. "It's a reboot, but if it was up to me, he would be in it," said Bruckheimer, 80, in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly regarding the status of two separate Pirates movies currently in development.
"I love him. He's a good friend. He's an amazing artist and he's a unique look," the veteran film producer added about Depp, 60, who portrayed Captain Jack Sparrow in the franchise's first five films released between 2003 and 2017. "He created Captain Jack. That was not on the page, that was him doing a little Pepé Le Pew and Keith Richards. That was his interpretation of Jack Sparrow."
Two "Different" Pirate Movies
In summer 2020, Variety reported that Disney was in the early stages of developing two "Pirates" movies: a reboot featuring Margot Robbie and a sixth installment in the original franchise scripted by Craig Mazin and Ted Elliott, the latter of whom co-wrote the first four "Pirates" films.
Mazin revealed to the Los Angeles Times last year that the script for "Pirates of the Caribbean 6" is incredibly unusual, expressing surprise that Disney approved it. He commented, “We pitched it and thought there’s no way they’re buying it, it’s too weird. And they did! And then we wrote a fantastic script and the strike happened and everyone’s waiting around.”
Bruckheimer revealed to EW that screenwriter Jeff Nathanson (known for Young Woman and the Sea) is crafting the script for the Pirates reboot, with casting yet to be announced.
Whether Nathanson's reboot script is a revised version of Mazin's or an entirely new screenplay remains uncertain.
"I think he's cracked it," Bruckheimer commented. "He's got an amazing third act. We just gotta clean up the first and second and then we'll get there. But he wrote a great, great third act."
Margot Robbie mentioned to Vanity Fair in November 2022 that Disney showed little interest in her proposed "more of a female-led" movie. However, Bruckheimer conveyed to Entertainment Weekly that he believes there's still potential for both "Pirates" projects to exist.
Bruckheimer clarified that the two films in development are distinct projects. "It's two different movies. We hope to get 'em both made, and I think Disney agrees they really want to make the Margot one, too."
Each of the five "Pirates" films has amassed over $650 million in global box office receipts, with "Dead Man's Chest" (2006) and "On Stranger Tides" (2011) both surpassing the $1 billion milestone.
