Johnny Depp in Talks to Return for ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 6’

The last update about the next “Pirates of the Caribbean” had Krysty Wilson-Cairns — writer of “1917,” working on the script for a reboot that has now become a priority for newly installed Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro.

At the time, in February, a decision was soon to be made on whether to bring back Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow for a story that was said to focus on Sparrow’s son and a new character, portrayed by Margot Robbie.

Now we have a major update — it seems Disney has decided to get back in the Depp business. ‘Pirates’ producer Jerry Bruckheimer, in attendance at D23, is telling Deadline, “we are in talks with Johnny” to return to the franchise.

Bruckheimer — long a champion of Depp’s return to “Pirates of the Caribbean” — told EW last year that the actor was open to reprising the role for a sixth film, provided he liked the script.

Depp has been openly angry with Disney. When the allegations of abuse involving his ex-wife Amber Heard became public, Disney decided not to bring Depp back for another ‘Pirates’ movie. During his 2022 trial, Depp said he felt “betrayed” because he had put a lot of himself into creating Jack Sparrow and believed Disney abandoned him despite his success with the character.

The last time Depp played Sparrow was in 2017’s ‘Dead Men Tell No Tales.’ Since then, the Heard allegations have led to him being relegated to starring in lower-budget films such as “The Professor,” “City of Lies,” “Waiting for the Barbarians,” and “Minamata.” Depp’s most recent project was “Modi,” which he directed. However, Depp’s return to a major stydio will take place this November in Ti West’s “Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol” for Paramount, which is set to be the actor’s first major studio film in nearly a decade.

There is definitely a post-Heard comeback mounting for Depp at the moment. ‘Ebenezer’ is the first step, and next year the actor will star in Marc Webb’s “Day Drinker,” co-starring Penelope Cruz, and backed by Lionsgate.

I know, I know, the ‘Pirates’ franchise has felt dead to many fans, especially after the last instalment. The only entry that was met with good reviews was the 2003 original — but all five made boatloads of cash. Money talks, and in Hollywood, reboots are greenlit on a near-weekly basis. That said, it’s very hard to imagine a ‘Pirates’ movie without Depp’s Sparrow being included, which is probably why Disney wants him back.