The future of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise seemed uncertain, caught in an array of conflicting reports. A planned female-led spin-off headlined by Margot Robbie appeared to be shelved, while a reboot drifted aimlessly. However, a recent interview with producer Jerry Bruckheimer sheds light on a course correction, with both the Robbie film and a separate reboot potentially setting sail.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Jerry Bruckheimer clarified that these are distinct projects. One is a reboot with a fresh story and new characters, penned by Jeff Nathanson, who also wrote the script for the last installment, Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017). The other is the Robbie-led project, envisioned as a new take on the franchise with a more prominent female role, which was being written by Christina Hodson.
Bruckheimer expressed optimism about getting both films made, stating, We hope to get ’em both made, and I think Disney agrees they really want to make the Margot one, too. This contradicted Robbie’s own comments from November 2022, where she suggested Disney had lost interest in her project.
The Dead Men Tell No Tales team of Bruckheimer, writer Nathanson, and co-directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg are reuniting for the reboot. Bruckheimer is enthusiastic about Nathanson’s progress, saying, 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.
According to Variety, this impending reboot signifies a departure from established characters, likely excluding Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow. Depp’s future with the franchise remains murky due to legal issues. Despite this, Bruckheimer holds onto hope for Depp’s return, stating, 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.
The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has been a resounding commercial success. Each of the five films surpassed $650 million globally, with Dead Man’s Chest (2006) and On Stranger Tides (2011) exceeding the $1 billion mark.
