The Hollywood megastar Johnny Depp is in official negotiations to return to his most iconic role – that of Captain Jack Sparrow in the sixth installment of the hit series „Pirates of the Caribbean“ (Pirates of the Caribbean 6). The sensational news was officially confirmed by longtime producer of the franchise Jerry Bruckheimer during the large-scale fan event D23 in Anaheim, California, writes Deadline
In front of reporters, Bruckheimer said directly: „We are talking to Johnny, we are working on the script and we hope that we will be able to realize it“. This statement marks a dramatic turn in the relationship between the actor and the Disney film studio, which previously distanced itself from him due to the noisy lawsuits with his ex-wife Amber Heard.
What will be the role of Captain Jack Sparrow in “Pirates of the Caribbean 6“?
According to inside Hollywood sources cited in the material of the film portal The Playlist, the new tape will not be a typical sequel, focused entirely on Jack Sparrow. The creators' plan is for the film to serve as a kind of “evolution of the franchise“ and a restart of the story.
Margot Robbie as the main character: The plot of “Pirates of the Caribbean 6“ is being developed with the idea of giving the central role to a heroine played by Australian star Margot Robbie. Johnny Depp in a supporting role: Rather than leading the story, Captain Jack Sparrow is expected to appear as a key supporting character, bridging the gap between the old and new generations of pirates. The script is the leader: Bruckheimer has previously emphasized to media outlets such as Entertainment Weekly that Depp's final decision depends entirely on the quality of the story on paper and how his character is written. Proven names such as Christy Wilson-Kearns (author of „1917“) and Craig Mazin („Chernobyl“) are helping with the final version of the script.
Why did Disney change its position on Johnny Depp?
Johnny Depp's return to the board of „Black Pearl“ seemed almost impossible, after he himself had stated in court that he would not work with Disney again even for “300 million dollars“. However, the enormous pressure from fans and financial realities seem to have softened the positions of both parties.
The fifth film in the series – – – “Salazar's Revenge“ (Dead Men Tell No Tales) from 2017, turned out to be the lowest-grossing in the history of the brand, grossing $795.9 million at the global box office. While the amount is impressive, it remained far behind the peak achievements of the previous parts. In total, the five titles have brought Disney over $4.5 billion to date, making the pirate saga one of the studio's most valuable assets. Without the participation of the iconic Jack Sparrow, any attempt to revive the brand carries a huge commercial risk.
News of the negotiations quickly became a major topic on social media, with millions of fans expressing hope that the deal would be finalized soon. Meanwhile, before donning the pirate hat again, Johnny Depp will make his big comeback in theaters this November in the fantasy film “Ebenezer“ - a modern adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” under the Paramount banner.