Johnny Depp is in active talks to return as Captain Jack Sparrow in “Pirates of the Caribbean 6,” producer Jerry Bruckheimer has confirmed.
“We’re talking with Johnny, we’re working on a screenplay, and hopefully we can get this done,” Bruckheimer, 80, said at D23. The veteran producer, whose credits span “Top Gun” and “Bad Boys,” disclosed that he had personally spoken with Depp, 62, about reprising the rum-soaked role that made him one of Hollywood’s highest-paid stars.
Bruckheimer elaborated on those conversations in a separate interview with Entertainment Weekly. “If he likes the way the part’s written, I think he would do it,” the producer said. “It’s all about what’s on the page, as we all know. We are still working on a screenplay. We want to make it. We just got to get the right screenplay. We haven’t quite gotten there yet, but we’re close.”
The producer made plain his own preference for Depp’s involvement, calling the film “a reboot, but if it was up to me, he would be in it.” Bruckheimer also praised Depp’s creative contributions to the character, noting that the signature Jack Sparrow mannerisms were not in the original script. “I love him. He’s a good friend. He’s an amazing artist, and he’s a unique look. He created Captain Jack. That was not on the page; that was him doing a little Pepé Le Pew and Keith Richards. That was his interpretation of Jack Sparrow,” Bruckheimer said.
Multiple insiders indicated to Deadline that the sixth installment would center on Margot Robbie’s protagonist, with Depp potentially returning in a supporting capacity rather than the lead. This aligns with Bruckheimer’s long-standing efforts to develop two separate “Pirates” projects simultaneously—one female-led with Robbie and another continuing the original storyline.
Orlando Bloom, 48, who played Will Turner across four of the five films, recently expressed enthusiasm for a reunion. During an appearance on “This Morning,” Bloom revealed that producers had been exploring ways to bring back the original trio. “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,” Bloom said. Keira Knightley, 40, who portrayed Elizabeth Swann, has previously stated her “pirating days are over.”
Geoffrey Rush, 73, who played Captain Barbossa across all five films, has also hinted at potential involvement. The Australian actor told Movie Web that he had spoken with Bruckheimer about returning alongside Depp. “I had a good time on that over a very long period. It was probably 12, 15 years or something, from beginning to end,” Rush said. “But after the final chapter, I’ve died twice, and I didn’t want an exhumation. I thought it would have been wrong having sacrificed his life for his own child, yeah, and I thought, That’s cheesy. And then I went, you know… if Johnny [Depp] does it…”
In the viral moment that preceded these developments, Depp had publicly declared he would never return to the franchise. During his 2022 defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard, the actor testified that he felt betrayed by Disney for distancing itself from him after Heard’s abuse allegations. Depp had sued the “Aquaman” actress for alluding to him being abusive in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed; he was awarded $1 million. The studio’s apparent change of posture follows Depp’s legal victory and his gradual re-emergence in major projects, including the upcoming Lionsgate thriller “Day Drinker” and his role as Ebenezer Scrooge in “Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol,” set for release November 13.
Depp’s potential return marks a dramatic reversal for an actor who once seemed permanently severed from the House of Mouse. Scriptwriter Stuart Beattie hinted as far back as 2018 that Depp would retire from the role, telling DailyMailTV: “I think he’s had a great run. Obviously, he’s made that character his own and it’s become the character he’s most famous for now. And 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, so I’m just very, very happy about it. I think Jack Sparrow will be his legacy. It’s the only character he’s played five times.”
The franchise has grossed more than $4.5 billion worldwide across its five films, with 2006’s “Dead Man’s Chest” and 2011’s “On Stranger Tides” each crossing the $1 billion threshold. The most recent installment, 2017’s “Dead Men Tell No Tales,” underperformed domestically with $172.5 million against a reported $320 million budget, though it still managed $795.5 million globally.
Depp is scheduled to appear at San Diego Comic-Con in July for promotional activities related to his upcoming projects.