Disney Developing Two ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Scripts – One With Johnny Depp & One Without

Disney is looking to revamp the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, but the question is whether to do so with or without Johnny Depp. Now, Variety reports that producer Jerry Bruckheimer is developing two Pirates of the Caribbean scripts. One of the scripts is without Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow, which is likely the much-discussed Margot Robbie-starring reboot that has been in contention since 2020. Another would be to bring back Jack Sparrow if Depp and Disney can make amends. “Nothing has been ruled out,” one knowledgeable source told the outlet.

It is hard to deny that Depp’s depiction of Jack Sparrow helped make the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise the box-office sensation that it became. Before Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, pirate movies were box office poison, and the idea of a movie based on a theme park ride seemed like the death knell for originality in Hollywood. Yet Depp’s Jack Sparrow made the movie one of the most successful films of 2003, which launched a popular franchise that dominated the 2000s. Depp’s star power has faded in recent years, and following a very lengthy court case with ex-wife Amber Heard, it appeared there would be no future for Depp in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

Indeed, Johnny Depp made his disdain for Disney very public in his 2022 liable case against ex-wife Amber Heard. Depp claimed Disney quickly cut ties with him following Heard’s claims that Depp was physically and emotionally abusive. He also said, despite wanting to give Jack Sparrow a proper goodbye, he felt hurt and betrayed by Disney and seemingly had no interest in working with them ever again. However, the actor has recently made comments possibly suggesting being open to working with Disney again.

Is Johnny Depp Worth the Cost To Disney?

While one would assume that Johnny Depp is needed for Pirates of the Caribbean, the reality is that Depp priced himself out of the franchise. Depp’s agent claimed that Johnny Depp was set to receive $22.5 million to star in Pirates of the Caribbean 6. Depp was getting paid more money, but the films were no longer the box office kings they were in the 2000s. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales had a budget of $230 million, and Depp was reportedly paid $90 million for the movie, though it is unclear how much was salary and how much was paid through bonuses.

Regardless, that’s a lot of money for a film that underperformed at the box office, grossing $172 million domestically. A far cry from the $305 million Curse of the Black Pearl brought in, or even the $241 million On Stranger Tides made in 2011. Even with an impressive $759 million worldwide, that was below all the films in the franchise except Curse of the Black Pearl, and it came below other Disney franchises that year, like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Thor: Ragnarok, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Costing more because of Johnny Depp but also not making more money is clearly not sustainable from a business standpoint, suggesting Depp was no longer a worthy investment even before all the controversy. Depp himself isn’t a big draw anymore, as the few films he has made since accusations were leveled against him, losing a libel lawsuit against The Sun newspaper in the U.K., and his high-profile court case have been critically slammed and have not registered at the box office. So, if Depp were to return to Pirates of the Caribbean, he could not ask for the same salary he did before, and after a string of box office flops and a very controversial public life, his involvement could lose the film to as many people as it could bring in.

In the 2000s, Disney desperately needed Pirates of the Caribbean, and by extension, Johnny Depp, as they needed a big, blockbuster franchise, spending nearly a decade trying to replicate its success. Now, though, they have Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, both of which bring in, on average, more money than the Pirates of the Caribbean films did. There certainly is a generation nostalgic for Pirates of the Caribbean and Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow, but that doesn’t always translate to box office gold.

Release Date

May 23, 2017