Original Pirates of the Caribbean Director Breaks Silence on Disney’s Reboot

January 31, 2026, 6:33pm

The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is continuing at Disney, and the original trilogy’s director has shared his thoughts on its future. The franchise started in 2003, and Disney hired Gore Verbinski, who had just found success with the horror film The Ring, which came out the previous year. Verbinski directed all three installments of the original trilogy: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006), and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007). Two more films have been released since then, but Verbinski never returned.

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Director Gore Verbinski spoke to Screen Rant about his new movie, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, and discussed the ongoing Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. In the interview, he admitted that he has no intention of returning as director. However, in the interview, he admitted that he has no intention to return as the director. “I wish them the best. I just don’t have anything. I feel like I did three and, for me, it was a great opportunity to learn and to try something,” Verbinski said. “I think we have to be at a place where the wheels are about to fall off. I think once you kind of know how to do something, it becomes less interesting or less dangerous. There’s just so little time, and there are so many stories to tell.”

This is revealing because Gore Verbinski’s career has slowed since he left the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. He had success with the animated film Rango in 2011, but after The Lone Ranger failed to hit the mark in 2013, he directed only one other film until recently: the overlooked A Cure for Wellness in 2017. His new movie, released in theaters this year, is only his fourth directorial effort since 2007.

What is Next for Pirates of the Caribbean?

While Gore Verbinski is not returning to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, the films are still moving forward. Fans of the original series also received some positive news, as it appears Johnny Depp may be in line to return as Captain Jack Sparrow. Disney ended talks with Depp after Amber Heard made domestic abuse allegations against him in 2016. However, after Depp won a defamation court case against Heard in 2022, in which he argued she made false statements about what happened, he has slowly begun his comeback.

Johnny Depp returns for his first American studio film in years with Marc Webb’s Day Drinker, and he has signed on to star in Ti West’s new film, Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol. While Disney may be waiting to see how the public reacts to Depp’s return following the trial, the actor is one step closer to reprising Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean’s sixth installment.

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