Next 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Movie Will Be a Reboot, Jerry Bruckheimer Says

The next iteration of Pirates of the Caribbean will be a reboot of the beloved franchise, according to Jerry Bruckheimer. 

During a recent ComicBook.com interview, the legendary film and television producer, 80, extemporized that they are working on rebooting the Pirates story as well as working on more sequels to Top Gun. Bruckheimer said the latter franchise is a little more difficult to give any kind of timeline or updates on because it involves getting big-name actors like Tom Cruise, Miles Teller and Glen Powell to coordinate schedules. 

"You don't know, you really don't know," Bruckheimer said. "Because with Top Gun, you have an actor who is iconic and brilliant. And how many movies he does before he does Top Gun, I can't tell you. But we're gonna reboot Pirates, so that is easier to put together because you don't have to wait for certain actors."

ET's Nischelle Turner also spoke with Bruckheimer in preparation for his new film, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, and asked about a third Top Gun film, following the box-office-breaking success of Top Gun: Maverick in 2022. To date, the film has made nearly $1.5 billion worldwide. 

"We've had discussions, let's put it that way," he told ET of a third film. "We're working on something... We're working on it. It'll be a good one."

As for the Pirates movies, the last of the original Pirates of the Caribbean films, Dead Men Tell No Tales, was released in theaters in 2017 and starred Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem and The Gentlemen actress Kaya Scodelario.

In 2022, Bruckheimer spoke with The Associated Press and said that he was not ruling out a return for Depp, 60, who has played Captain Jack Sparrow in five films for Disney. At the time, he added that several potential scripts were in development for a sixth possible installment. 

"We're still working on it," he shared. "Nothing is definitive yet but we continue to take little baby steps towards a screenplay."

In December of that year, the producer also spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about the status of the franchise -- which is inspired by the eponymous Disneyland ride -- and said that Depp's return would be welcome if it were solely up to him. 

"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," Bruckheimer shared.

Bruckheimer was referring to Depp's massively public defamation trial with his ex-wife, Amber Heard, which played out in the media and ultimately received the Netflix documentary treatment. During the trial, Heard's attorney Ben Rottenborn asked Depp if he would ever return to the Pirates franchise, to which he gave a decisive answer. 

"The fact is, Mr. Depp, if Disney came to you with $300 million and a million alpacas, nothing on this earth would get you to go back and work with Disney on a Pirates of the Caribbean film? Correct?" Rottenborn asked the 21 Jump Street actor. 

"That is true," replied Depp.

In June 2022, the actor was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages by a Virginia jury that found Heard, 37, liable of defaming her ex-husband. The punitive damages, however, were reduced to $350,000 in accordance with the state's statutory cap. Heard was also awarded $2 million by the jury in compensatory damages for her counterclaim, but nothing in punitive damages. The jury found Depp liable after his attorney referred to Heard's claims as a "hoax."

The defamation trial stemmed from an opinion article Heard penned in The Washington Post in 2018 where she claimed to be a "public figure representing domestic abuse." In the article, she did not mention her ex-husband's name.

Days later, it was confirmed by Disney that the actor would not be returning for a planned sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film. 

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