It looks like Disney’s reboot of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is back afloat. After losing Deadpool screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick earlier this year, Deadline reports that the studio has now hired Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin and Pirates of the Caribbean co-writer Ted Elliot to write the next instalment of the Pirates franchise.
The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has been a massive hit for Disney, earning a collected total of $4.5 billion worldwide, though the series’ last outing, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, did not perform as well as Disney had been expecting either critically or financially. Elliot co-wrote the first four films of the franchise.
The series is perhaps best known for Johnny Depp’s performance as the eccentric pirate Jack Sparrow, who has been one of the only actors in the series to appear in all five films.
However, due to Disney’s desire to give the franchise a fresh start as well as Depp’s recent legal troubles, he was confirmed by Disney executives not to be involved in the next Pirates film, a move that would have saved the company a reported $90 million.
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer is expected to return for the next film, though Depp’s possible involvement as Jack Sparrow remains up in the air at this point following the change of writers.
Are you excited about the prospect of another Pirates of the Caribbean movie? Do you want to see Johnny Depp back as Jack Sparrow? Let us know in the comments below or on our social channels @flickeringmyth…
