Pirates of the Caribbean Producer Provides Updates on Margot Robbie, Johnny Depp, and Franchise Future

Despite the worldwide success of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise over the past two decades, the live-action movie series has stagnated in recent years, though producer Jerry Bruckheimer offered some updates on the franchise and what the future holds for it. During a recent conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, the filmmaker addressed what the future could hold for a reported Margot Robbie-led spinoff, the script that is currently being developed for the next installment, and what longtime star Johnny Depp’s future could be with the series. Currently, there is no announced release date for any film in the series.

Back in 2020, reports emerged that Robbie would be starring in a revival of the concept, which has yet to earn any official updates. Bruckheimer, though, noted that the Robbie project was one of two that The Walt Disney Company was developing, and that the other project had been gaining more momentum. He also confirmed that, rather than being a direct continuation of the previous films, the script currently being developed focused on younger characters.

“Oh God, they’re all hard,” the producer responded when asked the biggest challenges of bringing the next chapter to life. “I think we’re getting very close on that one, too. We have a very good script. We developed two of them — the one with Margot Robbie and one with a younger cast. The Margot Robbie one needs a little more work. The younger cast one is close. Hopefully we’ll get both of them.”

With how much time has passed since those initial reports about a Robbie film, even the actor herself recently cast doubt on the film moving forward. The producer, however, confirms that the project is far from dead.

“It’s alive for me. It’s alive for Disney,” Bruckheimer clarified. “I’m sure she was disappointed it didn’t go first — or maybe not because she’s very busy, so it might be a blessing to push this a bit. We believe we’ll get it made. It’s a very strong story.”

While Depp has starred in all five Pirates films as Jack Sparrow, recent controversies he’s been involved in has viewers wondering if he will remain a part of the franchise going forward. Bruckheimer’s comments on the matter don’t debunk this notion, though it would seem the decision has yet to be made and that the script currently being developed doesn’t hinge on Sparrow.

“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.”

The actor himself has teased the possibility of giving his character a confirmed death, though Bruckheimer pushed back, confessing, “You can’t. We tried to kill him. It didn’t work.”

Stay tuned for updates on the future of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

What would you like to see in the future of the franchise? Let us know in the comments!