Load up on the rum, because Captain Jack may be back after all!
With his upcoming holiday film Ebenezer hitting theaters soon, Johnny Depp is officially back on the press circuit. While attending a special screening of his upcoming holiday comed, Entertainment Tonight caught up with the Oscar-nominated actor to gauge his interest in returning to his iconic role as Captain Jack Sparrow in Disney's blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
When asked about producer Jerry Bruckheimer's recent comments expressing a desire to bring him back for the next installment—which is currently in the scripting phase—Depp revealed he remains open to returning: “If things are exactly where they need to be with regard to how they are going to top off the Pirates franchise… the only involvement I really want to have, truly, is just to send them off on a better note.”
He continued, praising his longtime collaborator, “I will go to work with [Jerry] Bruckheimer tomorrow for anything. Doesn’t matter… if it’s Jerry, I trust him. We have a deep friendship.”
While not exactly an official confirmation, Depp's comments do seem to indicate that active discussions are taking place regarding his return to the swashbuckling series. However, it remains to be seen whether he would headline the next chapter or simply make a cameo to bring Jack's story to a close.
Bruckheimer previously confirmed to Deadline that two separate Pirates projects are currently in development: a total reboot written by Jeff Nathanson (Mufasa: The Lion King, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) and a female-led spin-off starring Margot Robbie, written by Christina Hodson (Birds of Prey, The Flash). The reboot will presumably take priority with a brand-new ensemble cast, while the Robbie-centric film is expected to be more of a spin-off set in the wider Pirates universe.
The Pirates of the Caribbean films remain among the highest-grossing cinematic franchises of all time, pulling in over $4.52 billion globally across five installments. Depp has headlined every chapter since the 2003 original, and seeing him set sail for a sixth film would undoubtedly be a major win for longtime fans.
In addition to Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl; Alice in Wonderland) as Ebenezer Scrooge, the cast features Rupert Grint (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone; Knock at the Cabin), Andrea Riseborough (To Leslie; Birdman), Sam Claflin (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire; Me Before You), Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens; Murder on the Orient Express), Arthur Conti (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice; House of the Dragon), Ellie Bamber (Nocturnal Animals; Red, White & Royal Blue), Henry Lloyd-Hughes (Killing Eve; The Inbetweeners Movie), Charlie Murphy (Peaky Blinders; Halo), with Tramell Tillman (Severance; Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning) and Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring; Avengers: Doomsday).
Ti West (Pearl; X) directed the film, with a screenplay from Nathaniel Halpern (Tales from the Loop; Legion).
Ebenezer hits theaters on November 13!
This November, Johnny Depp is Ebenezer Scrooge. The name you know, the story you don’t. From Ti West, EBENEZER also stars Rupert Grint, Andrea Riseborough, Sam Claflin, Daisy Ridley, Arthur Conti, Ellie Bamber, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Charlie Murphy, with Tramell Tillman and Ian McKellen.