Johnny Depp’s reign as Jack Sparrow may not be over yet as a former Disney exec believes the actor may return as his main character in the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie.
“Following the verdict, I am absolutely satisfied that Pirates is ready for a reboot with Johnny on board as Captain Jack,” the unnamed former Disney exec told PEOPLE. “There are just too many potential box office sweethearts for a beloved character deeply embedded in Disney culture.”
Depp hasn’t played Jack Sparrow since 2017, when he seemingly made his final turn as Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Although it grossed $794.8 million worldwide, it was still well below the $1.04 billion grossed by its 2011 predecessor On Stranger Tides.
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However, in a broad interview with The Sunday Times last month, producer Jerry Bruckheimer said it was “unlikely at this point” that Depp would return for a potential sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film.
“Not at this point,” he said when asked about Depp. “The future is not decided yet”
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Instead, the 78-year-old Bruckheimer said he’s trying to rebuild the nearly two-decade-old Pirates franchise around a new protagonist, ideally played by Margot Robbie. “We are developing two ‘Pirates’ scripts. One with her, one without,” he said.
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Following the verdict, TheWrap spoke to several Hollywood insiders, who said that while Depp will be back in business, he won’t be starring in studio blockbusters.
“No A-list movie is going to hire him like it used to,” a veteran studio exec said of Depp. “He was always a pain in the ass before the trial. And what he’s proven is that he’s still a pain in the ass.”
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Similarly, a top talent agent said Depp would find work in the independently funded world, but not among the $20 million roles that gave him a rich backend like the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise once did. did.
“Depp, yes,” he could work, said the agent. “More in the foreign sales model and maybe later on as some kind of character actor in a studio film with a writer-director who can cast whoever they want.”
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