Is Johnny Depp FINALLY Returning As Jack Sparrow In New Pirates Of The Caribbean? Big Update!

Johnny Depp might be on his way back as Jack Sparrow in a sixth “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie. At least, that’s what producer Jerry Bruckheimer is hinting at. 

In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Bruckheimer said he’s talked to Depp about a possible return. He’s hopeful. If Depp likes the script, Bruckheimer thinks he’ll do it. But, let’s be real—they’re still working on the screenplay. “We want to make it,” Bruckheimer said. “We just need the right script. We’re not there yet, but we’re close.”

Is Johnny Depp Returning As Jack Sparrow? 

Depp led the “Pirates” franchise from 2003 through 2017, and every single one of those movies made more than $650 million globally. Two of them—“Dead Man’s Chest” and “On Stranger Tides”—even broke the $1 billion mark.

But after Depp’s messy legal battles and his public trial against Amber Heard in 2022, nobody really knew if Disney would want him back, or if he’d even come back at all.

Now, Depp’s got a new movie coming out—“Day Drinker”—and the rumors are flying again about whether he and Disney will get back together. With Depp as the star, the “Pirates” films have brought in a wild $4.5 billion worldwide. 

What’s happening with the new Pirates Of The Caribbean movie

Getting a new “Pirates” movie off the ground has been a slow, bumpy ride. Back in 2020, Variety reported that Disney was cooking up two “Pirates” projects: a reboot with Margot Robbie and a sixth movie in the original series, penned by Craig Mazin and Ted Elliott (the guy who co-wrote the first four movies).

Robbie later said Disney wasn’t interested in her more female-led spin, but Bruckheimer brushed that off—he says there’s space for both, and he thinks Disney still wants to make the Margot Robbie version.

For the original franchise, screenwriter Jeff Nathanson (who wrote “Dead Men Tell No Tales”) is now on board. Bruckheimer said Nathanson nailed the third act, but the first two need work. If they can clean that up, they’re good to go.

Nobody’s sure if Nathanson’s script is a fresh draft of Mazin’s, or if it’s something totally original. Mazin himself said his version was so offbeat he didn’t think Disney would go for it—but they did, and he was shocked. Then the writer’s strike hit, and everything stalled.

Bruckheimer has made it clear he’d love to see Depp back. “If it was up to me, Johnny would be in it,” he said. “He’s a good friend, he’s an amazing artist, and he’s got that one-of-a-kind take on Jack Sparrow. That character? That was all him. He made Jack Sparrow what he was, mixing a little Pepé Le Pew and Keith Richards in there. It wasn’t on the page—Johnny brought it to life.”

Johnny Depp’s Career and Personal Life

Depp’s last big studio film was 2018’s “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.” He was dropped from the sequel after losing a libel trial in the UK, where a judge ruled that The Sun’s claim he was a “wife beater” was “substantially true.” Mads Mikkelsen ended up taking over Depp’s role.

Then, in 2022, Depp sued Amber Heard in the U.S. for defamation over her Washington Post op-ed. The jury mostly sided with Depp—deciding Heard had defamed him, although they also found Depp had defamed Heard during the legal fight.