'Would love to': Jerry Bruckheimer On Johnny Depp's return in Pirates of the Caribbean

After Amber Heard filed a defamation case against Johnny Depp, Disney cancelled the latest Pirates of the Caribbean project. However, producer Jerry Bruckheimer said the project was very much alive for him.

Film producer Jerry Bruckheimer recently opened up about the possibility of bringing back actor Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. In a recent interview with the Hollywood Reporter, the producer spoke about Pirates 6 and said, "We have a very good script. We developed two of them — the one with Margot Robbie and one with a younger cast. The Margot Robbie one needs a little more work. The younger cast one is close. Hopefully we’ll get both of them."

When asked if there were any chances of bringing Johhny Depp back into the franchise after the trial outcome, the producer said, "You’d have to ask them. I can’t answer that question. I really don’t know. I would love to have him in the movie. He’s a friend, a terrific actor and it’s unfortunate that personal lives creep into everything we do."

When asked if he would ever kill the character of Jack Sparrow, Bruckheimer said, "You can’t. We tried to kill him. It didn’t work."
The producer also commented on Margot Robbie's statement, where she claimed that the project wasn't happening anymore. He said, "It’s alive for me. It’s alive for Disney. I’m sure she was disappointed it didn’t go first — or maybe not because she’s very busy, so it might be a blessing to push this a bit. We believe we’ll get it made. It’s a very strong story."

Johnny Depp expresses desire to return to the franchise

Before the trial, Johhny Depp was all set to reprise his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates 6, but due to the defamation lawsuit filed against him by Amber Heard, Disney cancelled the project. On June 1, the jury found Amber Heard guilty of defamation and ordered her to pay $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. During the trial, the actor had expressed his desire to make his comeback to the franchise as Jack Sparrow. 

About the Pirates of the Caribbean 

Pirates of the Caribbean franchise started in 2003 and grossed over $654 million worldwide. Its second film, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, which released in 2006, became the top-grossing film of the year. The franchise's third, fourth and fifth parts were released in 2007, 2011, and 2017 respectively. The franchise has grossed over $4.5 billion worldwide.