Inspired by one of Disneyland’s most iconic attractions, the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie, The Curse of the Black Pearl, is still widely regarded as one of Disney's best live-action movies.
The sequels—Dead Man's Chest, At World's End, On Stranger Tides, and Dead Men Tell No Tales—received a far less enthusiastic reception from fans and critics, but the franchise has still grossed over $4.5 billion worldwide. It's no wonder then that Disney is eager to set sail on a new instalment.
The latest Pirates of the Caribbean rumours point to 1917 scribe Krysty Wilson-Cairns writing a movie that would focus on Jack Sparrow's son and, potentially, Robbie's mystery character.
Johnny Depp's magnetic performance as Captain Jack Sparrow was a major reason for the series' popularity. Amber Heard's allegations of domestic violence and the subsequent high-profile legal battles prompted Disney to abandon plans for a sixth film. While Depp is currently staging a career comeback, we've been left in the dark about whether that means more Pirates.
The DisInsider (via SFFGazette.com) has chimed in today, revealing, "I believe Disney wants the next movie to be Johnny Depp-led alongside Margot Robbie, with hopes that future instalments in the franchise can continue with Robbie’s character and quite possibly the son of Sparrow."
So, if Depp does return, it could be for a passing of the torch (still, we'd bet on him still playing a supporting role in the fantasy franchise). Either way, this rumour suggests the plan is to put the spotlight back on Depp's iconic Captain Jack Sparrow.
The movies previously followed the adventures of Captain Jack, with Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley), and Joshamee Gibbs (Kevin McNally).
Jerry Bruckheimer produced all five previous Pirates of the Caribbean adventures, and when he was recently asked about rumoured plans for the franchise, he replied, "They’re close on part of it. That’s all I'll tell you."
Pushed on The Suicide Squad and Barbie star's potential involvement, Bruckheimer added, "I think you’re going up the right road," noting that the team overseeing the franchise "loves Margot Robbie."
Other updates from the site include Disney wanting to get the Chris Hemsworth-led Prince Charming movie in front of cameras as soon as possible, and Taika Waititi's Star Wars movie possibly being up next for Lucasfilm. The studio is also looking to bring Shawn Levy's Real Steel back to theaters, after plans for a TV series fell apart.
Stay tuned for updates on the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie as we have them.