'Pirates Of The Caribbean' Producer Reveals What to Expect From the Next Film

Before Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales came out in 2017, the fifth and, to date, final film in the franchise, Disney had reportedly been planning to shoot the fifth and sixth installments back-to-back. However, when the final film never materialized and an announced spinoff starring Margot Robbie ended up dead in the water, fans have been wondering if Jack Sparrow and crew had sailed off into the sunset for the last time.

However, this week producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who helmed the franchise, finally provided an update on the future of Pirates Of The Caribbean. And the 80-year-old Hollywood legend revealed that the plan for the next film will be a full reboot of the film series.

"It's hard to tell. You don't know, you really don't know," Bruckheimer told ComicBook.com in an interview published Monday. "You don't know how they come together. You just don't know. 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."

Bruckheimer was of course referring to Tom Cruise, who starred in both the original 1986 Top Gun and its 2022 sequel, Top Gun: Maverick. But considering that the Pirates movies are an ensemble cast, it would in theory be more of a challenge to align a number of production schedules, rather than just start over with fresh new talent.

Not to mention, Disney reportedly cut ties with Johnny Depp amid domestic violence allegations from his ex-wife Amber Heard, which the actor revealed in testimony during his high-profile defamation trial against Heard in 2022. And Keira Knightley also said last year in no uncertain terms that she was likewise done with the films.

So, it sounds very much as though Depp, Knightley, and Orlando Bloom have indeed played Jack Sparrow, Elizabeth Swann, and Will Turner for the last time. That is, if those characters even reappear in the next installment.

In the meantime, it certainly will be interesting to see what plans Bruckheimer and company have for the future of the franchise.