Even though the next Pirates of the Caribbean film will be a reboot, producer Jerry Bruckheimer is hoping the franchise’s signature character will be back for another swashbuckling adventure. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Bruckheimer shared that he’s been talking with Johnny Depp about the possibility of playing Jack Sparrow again. Bruckheimer has long been open to the actor returning to the series, but Depp’s Pirates future could depend on how he feels about the script. Bruckheimer indicated that as long as Depp likes what he reads, he’ll be happy to sign on.
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“If he likes the way the part’s written, I think he would do it,” Bruckheimer said. “It’s all about what’s on the page, as we all know.”
Depp has starred in all five Pirates of the Caribbean films to date, most recently appearing in 2017’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Whether or not the actor reprises Jack Sparrow in a future movie has been a topic of much discussion over the past handful of years. Depp himself seemed to shut the door on a return in his testimony during his defamation trial. However, more recent reports are hopeful that he will come back. Last December, it was said there are two scripts being written — one with Jack Sparrow and one without — so all bases are covered.
While a sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film lingers in development, other franchise stars have weighed in about their potential returns. Keira Knightley, who played Elizabeth Swan in four installments, has said she’s retired from franchise filmmaking as she focuses on raising her children. On the other hand, Will Turner actor Orlando Bloom thinks it would be “great to get the band back together again” and reunite with his old co-stars after all these years.
Bruckheimer has maintained the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie is a reboot, so it seems unlikely Bloom or Knightley would return. The bigger question concerns Depp. It’s hard to imagine a Pirates film without Jack Sparrow, which is why Bruckheimer seems so keen on bringing the character back. His presence would give Disney a familiar face to build a marketing campaign around. And even with the movie being a reboot, there could still be a place for Jack Sparrow. The filmmakers could follow the old Indiana Jones or James Bond formula by making a movie that virtually stands alone with no real narrative connections to previous installments. That way, it works as a fresh start for the series as a whole without sacrificing one of its trademark elements.
Hopefully, whatever’s on the page impresses Disney and Depp and they agree to work together again. The studio isn’t rebooting Pirates of the Caribbean to make a one-off. It’s hoping the reboot is lucrative enough to spawn its own set of sequels. The odds of a new installment turning a profit would probably go up if Jack Sparrow was involved in some capacity. At least for the first film in the relaunch, there should be a role for Depp. Perhaps he could team up with a new group of scallywags and pass the torch to them, allowing them to carry the franchise forward. Trying to restart Pirates of the Caribbean without is most recognizable character seems like an uphill climb. Using Jack as a gateway to introduce audiences to a younger cast might be the best way to go.
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Image courtesy of HBO
