Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is back in development, but the path forward is anything but straightforward.
The studio is actively shaping a new installment in the seafaring saga, more than two decades after Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl launched in 2003. That film didn’t just defy expectations for a theme park adaptation—it recalibrated Disney’s blockbuster strategy, thanks largely to Johnny Depp’s unconventional turn as Captain Jack Sparrow.
Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, The Curse of the Black Pearl was initially seen as a risk. Depp’s eccentric approach reportedly caused concern within the studio. Instead, audiences embraced it, and Sparrow became the franchise’s commercial and creative engine.
Over the next 14 years, Disney expanded the series with Dead Man’s Chest (2006), At World’s End (2007), On Stranger Tides (2011), and Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017). Alongside Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley provided the romantic throughline as Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann.
The financial rewards were enormous. By the time Dead Men Tell No Tales premiered, Depp reportedly secured a $90 million payday, underscoring his centrality to the brand.
Off-screen events shifted that trajectory. In 2020, Depp lost a libel case in the United Kingdom against The Sun and News Group Newspapers LTD concerning domestic abuse allegations. Justice Andrew Nicol determined the claims were “substantially true.” The fallout was immediate: Disney distanced itself, and Warner Bros. recast Depp’s role as Gellert Grindelwald with Mads Mikkelsen in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022). The film underperformed, and the franchise stalled.
The legal conflict between Depp and Amber Heard escalated in 2022 with a defamation trial in Virginia. Depp sued for $50 million over a Washington Post op-ed; Heard countersued for $100 million. After a six-week trial, the jury awarded Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages (later reduced), while Heard received $2 million in compensatory damages.
The trial dominated headlines and social media, eclipsing discussion of their film careers. During testimony, Depp was asked whether he would return to Pirates under any circumstances. Referencing “$300 million and a million alpacas,” he suggested that reconciliation was unlikely.
Still, the story may not be over. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer has repeatedly confirmed that Pirates of the Caribbean 6 remains in the works. While Disney has offered little public detail, Bruckheimer hinted at the direction during an interview with Screen Rant’s Ash Crossan while promoting F1 (2025).
Jerry Bruckheimer: We’re working on a screenplay. Hopefully we’ll get it right–and then we’ll make it. We really want to make it, that’s for sure.
ScreenRant: A continuation or something new?
Bruckheimer: It’ll be a new take on it.
ScreenRant: New take, new actors?
Bruckheimer: Well, not all new actors. We’ll have some back.
ScreenRant: Okay…
Bruckheimer: I’m not going to tell you which ones–you’ll have to guess.
That measured tease suggests a hybrid approach: a new narrative that still acknowledges the past.
Orlando Bloom echoed that uncertainty during an appearance on UK talk show This Morning.
“There's been all kinds of things. Who knows? There's been talk. I can't say anything at the moment, because I really don't know,” Bloom shared. “They're definitely… I think they're trying to work out what it would all look like. I, personally, think it would be great to get the band back together. That would be great. But there are always different ideas, so we'll see where it lands.
Complicating matters is the existence of multiple potential projects. In addition to Pirates 6, Disney has explored a separate spinoff tied to Margot Robbie, who recently starred in “Wuthering Heights” (2026). Though Robbie once indicated the project had stalled, Bruckheimer later clarified it remains alive, albeit not the immediate priority.
The producer recently acknowledged that Pirates 6 and Top Gun 3, starring Tom Cruise, are progressing at similar speeds. For now, Top Gun 3 appears slightly further along, potentially delaying the Pirates franchise return.
Rumors continue to circulate. The DisInsider reported that the franchise could pivot toward Jack Sparrow’s son as a new lead. The same outlet claims Depp and Robbie may co-headline the next film, laying groundwork for future installments centered on Robbie’s character and possibly Sparrow’s heir.
“I believe Disney wants the next movie to be Johnny Depp-led alongside Margot Robbie, with hopes that future installments in the franchise can continue on with Robbie’s character and quite possibly the son of Sparrow,” The DisInsider wrote.
Variety reported in late 2024 that “nothing has been ruled out” regarding Depp’s involvement, even if the project serves as a soft reboot. Reports also surfaced that Disney had begun preparing a Hollywood soundstage for Pirates 6, adding fuel to speculation that production could ramp up sooner than expected.
Any deal to bring Depp back would likely require a substantial financial commitment. At the same time, recent theatrical disappointments—including Disney’s Snow White and Captain America: Brave New World—have made studios more selective about large-scale spending.
Disney now faces a strategic decision: lean fully into reinvention or attempt to merge legacy characters with a new generation. The Pirates brand remains valuable, but its future hinges on how the studio balances nostalgia, cost, and audience appetite.
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