Disney Considering PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN Reboot With DEADPOOL Writers; Johnny Depp's Return Uncertain
It sounds like Disney may be ready to breathe new life into their Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, and they're currently in very early talks with Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick to pen the script...
Deadline is reporting that Walt Disney Studios is currently exploring a potential reboot of their blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and they've already met with the highly sought-after writing duo of Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick about possibly penning the script.
Negotiations with the pair are currently in the very early stages, so it may be a while before we get any sort of additional update, but if/when their deal closes, they will join returning producer Jerry Bruckheimer (Top Gun: Maverick), who may actually be one of the only returning faces from the original pentalogy.
It remains to be seen whether Johnny Depp (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald) will reprise his Academy Award-nominated role as Captain Jack Sparrow. However, considering the general nature of a reboot, it seems like the House of Mouse may be seeking to distance themselves from the actor after his recent public struggles, which are rumored to include some possible performance issues during the production of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.
Based on Disney's history, it wouldn't be surprising to see them break ties with Depp despite his essential synonymity with the franchise, as they've already established some precedent in dealing with potentially controversial auteurs as they quickly broke ties with Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn earlier this year after a number of troubling tweets resurfaced from his past. Gunn has since jumped shipped to Warner Bros., where he's expected to helm their Suicide Squad sequel, and Depp made a similar move in late 2016 when he signed on to play Gellert Grindelwald in the spinoffs to WB's Harry Potter franchise - a role he's expected to reprise at least three more times after next month's sequel.
Reese and Wernick's credits include Deadpool, Deadpool 2, Life, and Zombieland. They also wrote the upcoming Ryan Reynolds-actioner 6 Underground, which has Michael Bay directing, and have already been tasked with writing the long-awaited Zombieland 2 and another Reynolds vehicle, Clue.
The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise grossed over $4.5 billion between 2003-2017, but the most recent installment, Dead Men Tell No Tales, significantly underperformed at the global box office where it earned just $795 million, which was a considerable step down after On Stranger Tides managed to top $1 billion six years prior.