Producer Jerry Bruckheimer Offers ‘Pirates’ Update

He says he’s open to Johnny Depp showing up, and that there is room for both the new reboot and for the movie that has Margot Robbie attached to star.

(L to R) Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom in 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl'. Photo: Walt Disney Pictures.

Preview:

Jerry Bruckheimer has talked the new ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ movie.
He confirms it’s still in the works.
And he’s also confident about the Margot Robbie-developed spin-off.

After letting the franchise rest for a short while in Davy Jones’ locker, Disney appears to be really ready to set sail with new movies from the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ movie series. But despite development on not one but two movies announced in the last couple of years –– a reboot of the main franchise and a reboot starring ‘Barbie’s Margot Robbie –– we haven’t heard much.

Now, though, main ‘Pirates’ producer Jerry Bruckheimer, talking to Entertainment Weekly, has shed new light on forward movement, including a potentially controversial outlook on franchise star Johnny Depp’s potential return.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

"Prepare to be blown out of the water."

PG-132 hr 23 minJul 9th, 2003

Showtimes & Tickets

Watch Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Online

What did Jerry Bruckheimer say about the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ reboot?

95th Oscars® nominee Jerry Bruckheimer arrives at the Oscar Nominee Luncheon held in the International Ballroom at the Beverly Hilton on Monday, February 13, 2023. The 95th Oscars will air on Sunday, March 12, 2023 live on ABC. Credit/Provider: Michael Yada / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

Bruckheimer has been developing the new movie for a while now, with Jeff Nathanson –– who wrote the script for the last film in the main franchise, 2017’s ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell no Tales’ –– back on screenplay duty. And now he has as positive update on the reboot.

Here’s what Bruckheimer had to say about Nathanson’s progress:

“I think he’s cracked it. He’s got an amazing third act. We just gotta clean up the first and second and then we’ll get there. But he wrote a great, great third act.”

No plot details were offered for the film, but that led to the inevitable question about Johnny Depp (who, let’s not forget was the main star and figurehead for the first five movies) returning, even in the wake of his controversial legal issues with ex-wife Amber Heard and revelations about his problematic behavior.

Bruckheimer, though sees a different side of the actor…

This is what Bruckheimer had to say about Depp’s possible return:

“It’s a reboot, but if it was up to me, he would be in it. I love him. He’s a good friend. He’s an amazing artist and he's a unique look. He created Captain Jack. That was not on the page, that was him doing a little Pepé Le Pew and Keith Richards. That was his interpretation of Jack Sparrow.”

Whether Disney decides to get back in business with Depp (who has had a film at Cannes) remains to be seen, especially given his profile.

What about the Margot Robbie-developed ‘Pirates’ spin-off?

Margot Robbie arrives on the red carpet at the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards, airing live from the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California on Sunday, January 7, 2024, at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT, on CBS and streaming on Paramount+. Photo: Trae Patton/CBS ©2024 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Though Robbie said in 2022 that she didn’t think Disney was interested in making the female-focused spin-off her LuckyChap company developed with Disney and writer Christina Hodson, Bruckheimer disputes that.

Here’s his statement: