Sailing into New Waters: Pirates of the Caribbean Gets a Reboot
A Brief History of ‘Pirates 6’s Stormy History
Following the release of the fifth movie, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, in 2017, discussions about a 6th installment began. The movie ended on a note that left room for further stories as the characters of Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), and Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) all appeared in a post-credits sting. Disney seemed keen to capitalize on that momentum, with Bruckheimer announcing the sixth film was in development with Joachim Rønning set to return as the director.
Disney then made moves by hiring Deadpool writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick before the pair departed over creative differences, and at this stage, the movie started to be referred to as a “reboot.” Former Pirates writer Ted Elliott and The Last of Us co-creator Craig Mazin were then brought in at the end of 2019 for the reboot. By September 2023, Mazin stated his and Elliott’s script had been purchased by Disney, and that production had stagnated due to the WGA strike.
Not only that, a female-led spin-off starring Robbie was confirmed to be in the works, having been announced in 2020. At different points, Christina Hodson, known for her work on Birds of Prey and Bumblebee, was reported to be involved in crafting the screenplay, but in 2022, Robbie stated the project was dead in the water. Bruckheimer countered later by adding that it would still be made but that a new Pirates sequel would still be made.
The Big Picture
The sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film will feature a new cast and new stories, departing from the Jack Sparrow-centric focus. The production faced delays and changes, including script rewrites and creative differences among writers. A female-led spin-off starring Margot Robbie was in the works but faced uncertainty, while a new Pirates sequel seems more guaranteed.
Speaking with ComicBook.com, producer Jerry Bruckheimer stressed that the franchise was still on track to return but that they would now be bringing in a new cast to tell new stories, adding that he was unsure if Pirates or another legacy series, Top Gun, would return to screens first.
Will Johnny Depp Ever Return & Could the Margot Robbie Movie Still Happen?
While the franchise is now getting a reboot, this does not necessarily mean that Johnny Depp could not be brought back into the fray at some stage. Nor does it mean the Margot Robbie-led movie will never happen. As the likes of Sony’s Spider-Verse and the MCU have shown, franchise filmmaking can include all manner of spinoffs and other stories alongside the main series.
For his part, Johnny Depp has said he would consider working with Disney again following the conclusion of the various legal issues stemming from his marriage to actress and Aquaman star Amber Heard. “Anything is possible. If it’s the right project, he’ll do it,” said an insider about Depp’s potential return to the House of Mouse.
Bruckheimer has also spoken positively about bringing Depp’s Jack Sparrow back for more. Discussing the prospect in February last year, the producer said: