Kristina Roberts
Johnny Depp might once again set sail as Captain Jack Sparrow — if the stars (and the script) align.
Speaking to an news portal, legendary producer Jerry Bruckheimer revealed he’s had conversations with Depp about reprising his iconic role for a potential sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film. While Disney cut ties with the actor in 2018 amid the fallout from Amber Heard’s op-ed on domestic abuse, Bruckheimer has never hidden his wish to see Depp back in the franchise.
“If he likes the way the part’s written, I think he would do it,” Bruckheimer shared. “It’s all about what’s on the page.”
The last Pirates adventure, Dead Men Tell No Tales, hit theaters in 2017, reuniting Depp with Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley. Talks of a follow-up have been ongoing since 2019, with Bruckheimer describing the next film as a “reboot” — but one he hopes could still include Jack Sparrow.
“He created Captain Jack. That wasn’t on the page,” Bruckheimer said. “That was him — a mix of Pepé Le Pew and Keith Richards. He’s a good friend, a brilliant artist, and there’s nothing like him.”
The project has been through several iterations. Writers Craig Mazin (The Last of Us) and Ted Elliot (who penned the original Pirates films) had been working on a version before the 2023 Hollywood strikes paused progress. More recently, Jeff Nathanson, who wrote Dead Men Tell No Tales, has been refining the script.
“I think he’s cracked it,” Bruckheimer said in May 2024. “He’s got an amazing third act. We just need to tighten the first and second acts, and we’ll be ready.”
Depp’s potential return would mark a notable shift, as the actor famously told a court during his 2022 defamation trial that he wouldn’t return to Pirates — “not for $300 million and a million alpacas.” At the time, he described feeling “deeply betrayed” by Disney, despite having created a character audiences came to love after initial skepticism.
In recent years, Depp has focused on independent projects, largely steering clear of Hollywood blockbusters. Whether he’ll once again don Jack Sparrow’s tricorn hat depends on one thing: the right story.
