Johnny Depp Reportedly Open to Working With Disney Again

Johnny Depp may be sending up signal flares that he's ready and willing to work with Disney again. "Anything is possible," an insider close to Depp told PEOPLE about a reunion with Disney. "If it's the right project, he'll do it."

That sentiment coming out of Depp's camp comes just a month after Disney Studio Motion Picture Production president Sean Bailey was sending up his own signal flares, that the Studio is possibly ready to move ahead with the next installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, which Depp led as his now-iconic pirate character, Captain Jack Sparrow: "We think we have a really good, exciting story that honors the films that have come before also has something new stay," Bailey told the NYT. 

Of course, the Disney executive was careful about Depp's involvement, saying they were "noncommittal at this point." 

In the middle sits Pirates producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who will only say: "You'd have to ask [Disney]. I can't answer that question. I really don't know," Bruckheimer shared about bringing back Depp. "I would love to have him in the movie. He's a friend, a terrific actor, and it's unfortunate that personal lives creep into everything we do."

Why Did Johnny Depp Split With Disney? 

Disney split with Jonny Depp in the late 2010s,  after the actor became embroiled in a controversial public divorce from his ex-wife Amber Heard. In 2018, The UK's Sun newspaper published an "anonymous" letter (by Heard) accusing an unnamed mega-star (Depp) of abuse. Depp sued The Sun for libel, alleging the article impacted his reputation and career. 

However, when Depp lost that lawsuit and it was stated that Heard had suffered enough of what constituted abuse for the printed claim to stand, the ruling all but killed Depp's legal momentum and reputation, at the height of the "Me Too" movement in Hollywood. In 2022 Depp and Heard had a public trial in Virginia; when that ruling ended up largely in Depp's favor  – followed quickly by a subsequent final settlement by Heard – it seemed to be all the validation Depp needed to reclaim his place among Hollywood's top actors. 

So far, the tit-for-tat communications between Depp and Disney have felt like both parties trying to feel one another out, without losing face in the public eye. It'll be interesting to see if the private discussions soon lead to a formal announcement that Pirates of the Caribbean 6 is in motion. 

We'll keep you updated.