With Pirates of the Caribbean 6 officially being declared a reboot by producer Jerry Bruckheimer, many fans wonder what direction the Disney-owned franchise will go. Now, new footage has gone viral online regarding the sixth installment and its two very familiar leading stars.
Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean 6
What is happening with Pirates of the Caribbean 6?
It has been seven years since the last Pirates of the Caribbean installment, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017), was released. The fifth entry in the billion-dollar franchise was also the last time fans saw actor Johnny Depp in his most commercial role of all time, Captain Jack Sparrow.
After making his film debut as Glen Lantz in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) and appearing in classic 80s television shows like 21 Jump Street, Johnny Depp rose to international prominence through the 90s from his collaborations with director Tim Burton.
It would be his appearance as Captain Jack Sparrow in 2003’s Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl that would catapult Depp to being one of the most lucrative and powerful players in Hollywood. Since the early 00s, Depp’s role in Pirates of the Caribbean has been cemented in the zeitgeist of the 21st century.
Depp’s role in the subsequent movies (Dead Man’s Chest, At World’s End, On Stranger Tides, and Dead Men Tell No Tales) is why the actor’s recent legal battles with ex-wife Amber Heard have caused so much controversy when it comes to the future of the franchise, which has collected $4.254 billion globally.
Presently, Pirates of the Caribbean 6 is on turbulent waters. For context, producer Jerry Bruckheimer has confirmed three projects in the franchise: Pirates of the Caribbean 6, a Margot Robbie-led spinoff, and another spinoff featuring a younger cast.
Margot Robbie has been attached to the Disney swashbuckling series since 2020, but by 2022, the Academy Award-nominated actress claimed the project, which also had Christina Hodson on board as screenwriter, was dead in the water. Bruckheimer, however, debunked this statement in December 2022, confirming it was put on hold while development commenced on the sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film.
That sixth film was recently confirmed to be a reboot by Jerry Bruckheimer, who told ComicBook in March 2024, “We’re gonna reboot Pirates, so that is easier to put together because you don’t have to wait for certain actors.” This news came after the producer told Entertainment Tonight in early 2023 that he “would love” to work with Johnny Depp once again despite his highly-publicized legal troubles.
Depp, who told attorney Benjamin Rottenborn that he wouldn’t return to Disney for $300 million during the 2022 defamation trial, has since said “anything is possible” regarding working with The Walt Disney Company in the future, per a 2023 PEOPLE exclusive. Earlier this year, reports surfaced claiming Jack Sparrow would appear in a supporting, not a leading, role.
Most recently, Emmy winner Ayo Edebiri from FX’s The Bear has been attached to a role in the Pirates franchise, although neither Bruckheimer, Disney, nor Edebiri have spoken on the rumor.
For the loudest part of the Pirates of the Caribbean fanbase, a film without Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow would crucify the franchise. It’s true that Depp’s arrogant yet charming character was the anchor for the Disney movies, but a reboot could propel the stagnant series into new waters and find a new audience. Craig Mazin and Ted Elliott have been attached to write the film’s screenplay since 2019 following the exit of Deadpool writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick.
What trailers have been released for Pirates of the Caribbean 6?
Pirates of the Caribbean 6 is most certainly in motion, and even though signs point to Johnny Depp either having a supporting role or being excluded altogether, fans still aren’t letting go of Captain Jack Sparrow.
Over the last year, multiple different versions of Pirates of the Caribbean have cropped up online. Whether it’s from fanmade posters of films called Pirates of the Caribbean: Demons of the Corsair and Pirates of the Caribbean: Jack’s Revenge or from trailers like Pirates of the Caribbean: New Horizon and Pirates of the Caribbean: Beyond the Horizon—which portrayed Wednesday star Jenna Ortega as Jack Sparrow’s daughter–there have been many takes on the Pirates of the Caribbean 6 story.
The latest, though, might be the most farfetched. So much so that it has gone viral online, attracting over 1 million views on YouTube.
Created by KH Studio, Pirates of the Caribbean 6: Judgement Day finds Johnny Depp teaming up with ex-wife Amber Heard. The trailer opens with Heard’s character, Rose, saying how she has heard tales of Jack Sparrow and that if she finds him, she can find her riches.
Watch the trailer here:
It is extremely unlikely that Depp and Heard will work together ever again. Their marriage ended in 2016 following Heard’s claims that Depp had been physically and verbally abusive during their relationship. After meeting on the set of The Rum Diary in 2011, the pair married in 2015 but were divorced in 2017.
Heard would later pen her opinion essay in The Washington Post, which would act as the catalyst for the high-profile defamation trial in Virginia two years ago. Under the powers of Judge Penney Azcarate, the jury found that both parties had defamed the other, but monetary damages were awarded largely in Depp’s favor.
Related: Johnny Depp’s Return as Jack Sparrow in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 6’ May Save Disney Studios
The defamation trial came two years after Depp’s other libel case in the United Kingdom. Here, Depp was suing The Sun, News Group Newspapers LTD, and executive editor Dan Wootton for defamation over the publication’s use of the word “wife beater” to describe him following his casting as Gellert Grindelwald in Warner Bros. Fantastic Beasts franchise.
Depp lost the trial at the London High Court, and Justice Andrew Nicol refused his appeal claim. The allegations of domestic abuse were found to be “substantially true,” and Depp was cast out of both Fantastic Beasts and Disney’s Pirates.
Since then, Depp has appeared in Jeanne du Barry (2023) as controversial monarch King Louis XV, while Heard reprised her role as Mera in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023) and starred as Doctor Grace Burnham in Conor Allyn’s In the Fire (2023).
The Pirates of the Caribbean Film Franchise
What films are in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise?
Gore Verbinski directed the first three Pirates of the Caribbean movies: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006), and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007). They grossed $654 million, $1.066 billion, and $961 million, respectively.
Rob Marshall’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), which took $1.046 billion, was–at the time–the most expensive movie ever made, with a net budget close to $400 million. Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg helmed Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, which netted $795.2 million at the box office.
Who is in the cast of Pirates of the Caribbean?
The Walt Disney Company’s Pirates series has consistently featured A-list talent, with Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley joining Johnny Depp in the leading roles of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann, respectively.
Other actors and characters include Geoffrey Rush as Captain Hector Barbossa, Keith Richards as Captain Edward Teague, Naomie Harris as Tia Dalma Calypso, Bill Nighy as Davy Jones, Martin Klebba as Marty, Stellan Skarsgård as William “Bootstrap Bill” Turner, and Zoe Saldaña as Anamaria.
Related: Four Years Later, Error Revealed in Johnny Depp’s Career-Ending Trial
As more information drops about Pirates of the Caribbean 6, excitement and apprehension for the franchise is growing.
What do you think Pirates of the Caribbean 6 will look like?
This post New: Disney’s ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 6: Judgement Day’ Starring Johnny Depp and Amber Heard Goes Viral appeared first on Inside the Magic.
