Bruckheimer Confirms Talks with Depp for Sixth 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Installment
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer has confirmed negotiations with the actor, while the focus of the new sequel could be on Margot Robbie's character.
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer has confirmed negotiations with the actor, while the focus of the new sequel could be on Margot Robbie's character.
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer has confirmed that negotiations are underway with Johnny Depp for his return to the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise. The news was announced on August 17, 2026, and Bruckheimer told Deadline: "We're talking to Johnny Depp, we're working on the script, and we hope to bring the project to fruition."
According to Deadline, the iconic Captain Jack Sparrow is expected to be only a supporting character in the sixth installment. The lead role would go to Margot Robbie, whose character would drive the film's plot. This would mark a significant shift for the franchise, which has so far relied on Depp's eccentric pirate.
Depp first portrayed Sparrow in 2003 in 'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,' directed by Gore Verbinski, alongside Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley. He reprised the role in the sequels released in 2006, 2007, 2011, and 2017.
The last film in the series, 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales' (2017), grossed $795.9 million worldwide, the lowest in the franchise. Despite this, the five films collectively brought in $4.5 billion at the global box office.
Screenwriter Stuart Beattie hinted back in 2018 that Depp might step away from the role. "I think he's had a great run in that role. Obviously, he made that character his own, and it's now the character he's most known for. Kids all over the world love him as that character, so I think it's been great for him, it's been great for us, and I'm really, really happy about it. I think Jack Sparrow will be his legacy. It's the only character he's played five times," Beattie told DailyMailTV.
The same year, Disney terminated his contract after his ex-wife Amber Heard alluded to abuse in an op-ed for The Washington Post. Depp felt "betrayed by the people he worked so hard for." In 2022, he won the defamation lawsuit against Heard and was awarded $1 million in damages. Heard was married to him from 2015 to 2017.
According to Page Six, Depp is currently portraying Ebenezer Scrooge in the film 'Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol,' scheduled for release on November 13. This is his first major role since winning the lawsuit.
