Captain Jack Sparrow may be getting ready to set sail again. Following his Disney Legends tribute at D23 on Sunday, longtime “Pirates of the Caribbean” producer Jerry Bruckheimer revealed that Johnny Depp is currently in talks to return for the long-developing sixth installment of the blockbuster franchise.
“We’re talking with Johnny [Depp], we’re working on a screenplay, and hopefully we can get this done,” the super producer told Deadline after his tribute event.
Bruckheimer stopped short of saying a deal had been reached, but the update is nevertheless the clearest indication yet that Depp could actually reprise his signature role as Jack Sparrow after nearly a decade away from the series.
The producer has spent years keeping the door open for Depp’s return. Last summer, Bruckheimer revealed that he had already spoken with the actor about appearing in another “Pirates” film, saying he believed Depp would come back if he responded to the material.
“If he likes the way the part’s written, I think he would do it,” Bruckheimer said at the time. “It’s all about what’s on the page, as we all know.”
More recently, Bruckheimer has continued to make it clear that he wants Depp involved, even as development on the sixth film has gone through multiple iterations. Disney has explored several different approaches to reviving the franchise over the years, including a reboot and a separate project involving Margot Robbie, while Bruckheimer has remained the constant shepherding the property forward.
Depp last played Sparrow in 2017’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,” the fifth entry in the series. His future with Disney subsequently became uncertain amid his highly publicized legal battles and falling out with the studio, and Depp himself previously indicated he had little interest in returning.
Still, the relationship has seemingly thawed considerably. Bruckheimer has repeatedly praised Depp and emphasized how central his performance was to the success of the franchise, and Sunday’s D23 comments suggest those discussions have now progressed beyond hypothetical interest.
The original “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” arrived in 2003 and became a surprise phenomenon, transforming a Disney theme-park attraction into one of the studio’s biggest live-action franchises. Depp’s eccentric, swaggering performance as Sparrow earned him his first Best Actor Oscar nomination and quickly became synonymous with the series.
Details on “Pirates of the Caribbean 6” remain scarce, including who will direct, what form the story will take, and whether Depp would once again be the central lead or share the film with a new generation of characters. But after years of uncertainty, Bruckheimer confirming that Depp is actively in talks represents the most substantial movement yet toward getting Captain Jack Sparrow back aboard.
