Disney "Left Shattered" After 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Updates

Disney’s plans for Pirates of the Caribbean are reportedly “shattered.”

There have been few franchises to see the amount of box office success that Pirates of the Caribbean has garnered. The five-film series, based on the beloved Disney Park attraction that can be experienced at both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort, has garnered more than $4.5 billion at the box office. The franchise is currently listed at No. 16 all-time in terms of box office revenue, and much of that is credited to the performance of Johnny Depp as the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow.

Though there were many critics who didn’t believe the franchise would go over well with fans, that certainly hasn’t proven to be the case. The Disney franchise extends nearly two decades, beginning with Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), and working through Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007), Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017).

Disney has since confirmed plans to make a sixth installment of the franchise, but the company has seemingly severed ties with Johnny Depp. Disney reportedly turned its back on Johnny Depp following allegations from his ex-wife Amber Heard. During the trial, Depp said he wouldn’t return to Disney even for $3o0 million. Even after the court proceedings were finished, Disney maintained it was “noncommittal” on bringing Depp back.

That is, of course, until the company heard Depp’s official answer. The entertainer moved out of Hollywood earlier this year and has been exploring both his music and acting career in Europe. After Disney left the door open in a recent interview for Depp to return to the franchise, the actor reportedly revealed that he would not be returning.

So, where did that leave Disney?

According to a report from FandomWire, Disney had no choice but to “shatter” the beloved franchise. Though there were rumors that Orlando Bloom (Will Turner) and Keira Knightley (Elizabeth Swann Turner) could return, this looks less likely currently. Instead, Disney may be forced with a hard reboot of Pirates of the Caribbean, which would include a younger cast and a different direction, essentially leaving Johnny Depp and Captain Jack Sparrow behind. These previous comments from Disney indicate that this is the case.

“We think we have a really good, exciting story that honors the films that have come before but also has something new to say,” Disney president of production Sean Bailey said.

Disney reportedly had two scripts developed, neither of which include Johnny Depp. One of the scripts involved a female-led cast with the main protagonist being Margot Robbie. That particular one, at least for now, has been put on the back-burner. Ultimately, Disney will have to deal with backlash from a strong contingent of fans if it moves forward with Pirates of the Caribbean without Johnny Depp, but this seems to be the direction that the company is going.

Even though they’ll shatter the franchise in the process and have to create an all-new story with new characters– essentially starting from scratch– it seems that Disney is excited about this direction. Sometimes a franchise needs to be rebooted, but that, of course, comes with its own set of backlash. This may be why Disney is being methodical and careful about releasing details for the next movie as it weighs all of its options.

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