Pirates of the Caribbean 6 has been stuck in development hell since 2018, but talks about the Disney sequel have been heating up again, and potentially the return of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow – but only on one condition.
Surprisingly, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise first set sail as a theme park ride at Disneyland, but its name was really put on the map, so to speak, with Gore Verbinski’s 2003 movie The Curse of the Black Pearl.
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It became a critical and box office hit, cementing Depp’s eccentric pirate as a pop culture icon. Verbinski directed the next two sequels, Dead Man’s Chest and At World’s End, before the franchise found new captains for the fourth and fifth films.
Since then, there have been talks of a sixth instalment, but due to shifting creative teams, script issues, and Depp’s now-resolved legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard, we’re yet to see any progress.
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Johnny Depp in talks to return in Pirates of the Caribbean 6
However, longtime Pirates of the Caribbean producer Jerry Bruckheimer has given us a golden nugget of hope, saying he’s spoken to Depp. The actor is game for returning – but only if the writing team nail the script.
For the uninitiated, Depp was cut from the role of Captain Jack Sparrow due to the negative publicity relating to his legal battle with Heard. However, following the highly-publicized trial, a jury found Heard liable for defamation, while details of the case shifted public opinion of Depp.
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During the trial, while discussing Pirates of the Caribbean 6, Depp confirmed that he said “nothing on this earth” would get him to go back – even if Disney presented him with “$300 million and a million alpacas”.
But perhaps enough time has passed, as he is at least open to having conversations to return, as confirmed by Bruckheimer in a new conversation with Entertainment Weekly.
The producer said, “If he likes the way the part’s written, I think he would do it. It’s all about what’s on the page, as we all know.”
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Last year, Bruckheimer explained that while Pirates 6 is set to be a full reboot, he’d still like to see Captain Jack Sparrow make an appearance.
“It’s a reboot, but if it was up to me, he [Depp] would be in it. I love him. He’s a good friend. He’s an amazing artist and he’s a unique look. He created Captain Jack,” he said.
“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.”
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