“Pirates of the Caribbean 6” officially CONFIRMED

Well, it’s official. The sixth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise has been confirmed by the producer of the Pirates films, Jerry Bruckheimer.

Since actor Johnny Depp was first given the boot by Disney, there has been wild speculation about whether Disney would continue on with another film following the fifth installment. The general consensus among fans of the franchise is that they’d welcome a sixth film, but not if Captain Jack and Johnny Depp are absent.

And while there’s no announcement related to a Depp-Sparrow return as of yet, Pirates producer Jerry Bruckheimer has confirmed that they are moving forward with a sixth film, according to the website, Giant Freaking Robot. Bruckheimer also confirmed that one of the franchise’s original writers, Ted Elliott, will return to write the sixth film as well. To date, Elliot has worked on four of the five Pirates films as a writer.

Bruckheimer shared his excitement about bringing back Ted Elliott during a recent interview.

“I’m very excited; it’s going to be terrific,” Bruckheimer said. “We’re just putting this together right now. We’re still working on the screenplay, but it’s very unique and has one of the original writers who wrote the first one, Ted Elliott. He’s got a great command of the language, and he writes great characters and tells terrific stories.”

But of course, the elephant in the room–or online–as it were, is the continually looming question about actor Johnny Depp’s return and a reprisal of his famous swashbuckling role. And so far, we only see question marks.

Fans of the actor, as well as of the Pirates of the Caribbean films, have wondered whether the defamed actor would be back to create the sixth film in the uber-popular franchise. Rumors have swirled for months about Disney offering a contract to actress Margot Robbie to star in the sixth film and embody a new character, thus steering clear of Captain Jack’s persona altogether.

In late May 2022, just before the verdict was delivered by the jury in the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard defamation trial, there was even speculation about talks between Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Disney with regard to the Pirates franchise.

So, will Johnny Depp return to reprise his famous Sparrow role?

Perhaps no topic has been the subject of more rumors, speculation, and opinion pieces than that of actor Johnny Depp’s victorious return to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and that of Depp’s reprisal of Captain Jack Sparrow. As far as is publicly known at this time, there’s no contract between Depp and Disney for him to return. However, based on Bruckheimer’s own words, it doesn’t seem 100% out of the scope of possibility.

According to a July 20, 2022 post on ScreenRant, Bruckheimer “previously confirmed Depp isn’t involved in Pirates of the Caribbean 6 at this point but that ‘the future is yet to be decided.’”

In an era of reboots, take-twos, and franchise reprisals–not to mention the fact that Depp’s contributions led to the Pirates franchise becoming a multi-billion entity–it’s easy to see why Bruckheimer would continue with another Pirates of the Caribbean film. But both fans and critics agree that a Pirates film minus Depp could easily prove disastrous.

Top Gun: Maverick - The need for speed continues - The Newnan Times-Herald

Jerry Bruckheimer also produced this summer’s most successful film, Top Gun: Maverick–another title that easily fits into the “reboot” category. The film has grossed $684,219,728 to date, and that number keeps growing. And regardless of Disney’s stance, Bruckheimer has to know that rebooting the Pirates franchise without Johnny Depp would be akin to rebooting the Top Gun franchise minus Tom Cruise.

He also has to know that for fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, no Depp cameo will do; they want Captain Jack Sparrow, and they want him now.

But two things remain uncertain: first, whether Disney will ultimately offer Depp a reprisal contract, and second, whether Depp would accept such a contract, especially after Disney stood against, rather than with, Depp during his recent trial.

Disney World Guest Spends 13 Hours on Pirates of the Caribbean Ride

Steven Amos spent his August 6 birthday riding Walt Disney World’s famed Pirates of the Caribbean attraction for an entire Park day as a part of a marathon fundraising challenge. Amos vowed to ride the attraction once for every hundred dollars raised before donating all profits to Give Kids The World, a nonprofit for whom he serves as the Vice President of Advancement.

According to their mission, Give Kids The World (GKTW) “exists only to fulfill the wishes of critically ill children and their families from around the world to experience a memorable, joyful, cost-free visit to Central Florida’s attractions, and to enjoy the magic of Give Kids The World Village for as long as there is a need.”

GKTW partners with more than 250 Wish Granting Organizations globally to identify and serve children who have been diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses.

The nonprofit was founded by Florida hotelier Henri Landwirth in 1986, who learned of a young girl diagnosed with leukemia who passed away from her illness before her dream of visiting the Orlando area theme parks was realized.

Give Kids The World Towne Hall

Landwirth was inspired to start GKTW so that going forward, a child in need would never again run out of time before their life’s one wish is granted. After three years of arranging for families to stay in area hotels for their wish vacations, Landwirth once again enlisted the hospitality and theme park industry’s help to create the GKTW Village.

According to their website, the Village is an “84-acre, nonprofit resort complete with 166 Villa accommodations, entertainment attractions, whimsical venues, and fun specifically designed for children with critical illnesses.” To date, it has served more than 160 thousand families across 75 different countries.

Enlisting the help of corporations such as Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld Orlando, and many more, as well as countless volunteers and other generous individuals, GKTW is able to serve over 8,000 families annually. Individual stories are shared on their YouTube channel so that supporters can see the difference their help makes for families in need.

Amos began his journey with GKTW in 2019 after spending ten years working for the Walt Disney World Resort in various capacities. This year he used his birthday to bridge his past with his present in an all-day fundraising event that served to “raise awareness for the GKTW mission in new and creative ways,” a passion he lists in his company bio.

On his fundraising page, he wrote that the challenge would be the longest he’d ever done as he planned to ride the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction repeatedly from the moment Magic Kingdom opened until its 11 pm closing. With 100% of the profits going directly towards GKTW, he set goals tied to incentives that unlocked additional mini challenges in an effort to inspire donors.

pirates of the caribbean jack sparrow disneyland

The total fundraising goal was set at $6,000, or “the cost of a wish,” and the mini goals were listed as follows:

UNLOCKING FUNDRAISING GOALS

$100 – For each $100 raised, I will ride Pirates of the Caribbean

$3,000 – Chug some of that sweet Beverly drink!

$6,000 (cost of a wish) – I will continue my quest of punishing my stomach and only eat turkey legs for the entire day

$10,000 – I will dress as a pirate as much as Magic Kingdom will allow me for the day

$11,101 – If we beat last year’s fundraising goal, I will allow someone that donated to choose face paint for me to wear all day long

Over the course of 13 hours, Amos rode the attraction a total of 28 times and raised over $11,000, posting frequent updates to his Twitter account.

pirates-caribbean

He used his photo editing skills in his first post, updating the Magic Kingdom signage with his name and age to honor the occasion.

He updated again, presumably when the $6,000 mark was hit, sharing a photo of himself and a turkey leg.

He continued to show off his photo editing skills with a series of posts picturing Amos participating in various parts of the attraction.

And finally, his last post contained a heartfelt thank you and a fundraising results recap.

At $11,413 raised, this years event surpassed last years total by several hundred dollars.

For more information about GKTW’s mission and fundraising efforts, or to learn about how to get involved, click here. 

Former Disney exec says Johnny Depp WILL RETURN to “Pirates” franchise

A former Disney executive has spoken out following the Johnny Depp trial verdict, saying that he predicts Depp will return to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

According to People, a former executive with Walt Disney Studios has come forward following Wednesday’s verdict reveal in the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard defamation trial, saying that he sees a return of Depp to one of his most iconic roles: that of Captain Jack Sparrow in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

“There is just too much potential box-office treasure for a beloved character deeply embedded in the Disney culture,” said the former Walt Disney Studios executive in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, speaking about Johnny Depp‘s reprisal of his legendary role in Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, following his victory against his ex-wife Amber Heard in his defamation suit.

On Wednesday afternoon, the foreman for the jury in the Depp-Heard trial read aloud the verdict in what some have called “the trial of the century.”

Depp effectively won his defamation suit against Heard after six long weeks of testimony in a Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Virginia, proving to the jury that not only did Amber Heard defame Depp and damage his career and potential earnings, but also that she did so intentionally, “with malice.”

amber heard sad in courtroom

The jury awarded Johnny Depp $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. Heard won a single claim in her countersuit, though it was based on statements made by Depp’s former attorney Adam Waldman. Heard was awarded $2 million in compulsatory damages and no punitive damages.

Though the jury in the Depp-Heard trial has spoken, the jury in the court of Hollywood approval is still out on whether, when, and how Depp’s career might make a comeback following the recent trial. But this former Disney executive firmly believes in a Depp-Captain Jack Sparrow comeback.

Pirates Of The Caribbean To Thrive Without Johnny Depp's Captain Jack  Sparrow - DKODING

“With [producer] Jerry Bruckheimer riding high on the massive success of Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick, there is a huge appetite for bringing back bankable Hollywood stars in massively popular franchises,” the insider adds.

But another Hollywood insider whose resume includes work on the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise films told People that it is “not very likely” that Depp would be back in the sixth Pirates film. The insider dropped Margot Robbie‘s name, and Robbie has been eyed for a role in the franchise.

Jerry Bruckheimer provides update on Margot Robbie Pirates of the Caribbean  movie

Jerry Bruckheimer, the producer of the Pirates franchise, recently told The Sunday Times that there are currently two Pirates scripts in development: one starring Margot Robbie and one without Robbie.

The insider also estimates that a sixth installment in the Pirates franchise likely won’t debut until 2025 and says “I would think they make Robbie [Captain Jack Sparrow‘s] daughter and likely have a cameo with him as a test.”

depp in trial

From the stand, Johnny Depp testified about the parting of ways between himself and Walt Disney Studios. Depp said he had become “guilty until proven innocent.” He further testified that he wouldn’t work with Disney again, even if the Studios offered him a contract that included “$300 million and one million alpacas.” (Hence the constant talk about alpacas.)

Johnny Depp Lawyers Posed for Pics With Alpacas Amid Amber Heard Trial

Yet another Hollywood insider is sure Depp “will work again,” saying that he feels that “someone will give him a chance.” The insider expounded on that, saying that Depp “is very likable and very talented; a studio will just have to gauge and see it worth the risk and value, but he also won public opinion. He gained a whole new fan base through this and, yes, he will be back.”

New Smurfs Spanish One Sheet Poster and Johnny Depp is Jack Sparrow In the  new Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Banner! | Mike The Fanboy

In addition to losing his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Depp also lost his role in the Warner Bros. Fantastic Beasts franchise. For his role as Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, Depp was replaced by Mads Mikkelsen.

The film premiered in April 2022 with the lowest box office numbers of any part of the Harry Potter franchise.

Dwayne Johnson Will Replace Johnny Depp in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Film, Reports Say

There are few actors who have reached the level of success that has been seen by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Johnson, who got his full-length feature film beginning in Universal Pictures’  The Mummy Returns (2001) and the subsequent spinoff The Scorpion King (2002) after a successful career as a professional wrestler in the WWE, has become a household name. He is a beloved icon who has transcended into one of the most popular actors in the world.

Now, it seems that the actor may be eyed for another key role in the world of Disney.

dwayne the rock johnson onstage in suit

Johnny Depp, who plays the beloved role of Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, is still in the midst of a court trial with ex-wife Amber Heard. The Walt Disney Company reportedly turned its back on their beloved Captain Jack Sparrow before Johnny Depp could publicly defend his name and Heard’s Op-Ed with The Sun also cost Depp his role in The Fantastic Beasts franchise as Gellert Grindelwald to Mads Mikkelsen.

As the ongoing trial has unfolded, many fans have come to the defense of Johnny Depp, sharing their support for the actor, who also starred in several other blockbuster films including Public Enemies (2009), Willy Wonka (2005), Ed Wood (1994), Alice in Wonderland (2010), and many others.

"PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES"

Despite many fans coming to his defense, Pirates of the Caribbean producer Jerry Bruckheimer officially confirmed this week that a script is being developed with Margot Robbie taking over the lead role. When asked if Captain Jack Sparrow– Johnny Depp’s beloved character– could make a return, he said that there were no plans in the works currently. 

Margot Robbie as Barbie

Now, a report from Giant Freakin’ Robot indicates that Depp may never return in the role and, instead, Dwayne Johnson may be eyed for the next leading role in a Pirates of the Caribbean spinoff.

The report reads:

“It has already been announced by Jerry Bruckheimer that two spinoffs are in the works. One will see Margot Robbie take the lead of the franchise. The other is currently a mystery for now. However, based on our trusted and proven source, we can report that a third spinoff is in the works. This third Pirates spinoff will star Dwayne Johnson.”

Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow

It doesn’t seem that Johnson would play the role of Captain Jack Sparrow, but rather would be a different character introduced in the franchise, similar to what will be seen with Margot Robbie’s spinoff film. It’s unclear if both Johnson and Robbie could star together in the film, but it could make for an interesting dynamic. Both Johnson (Black Adam) and Robbie (Harley Quinn) have become stars in DC Comics movie franchises, which rival Disney’s Marvel Studios.

It’s not just a role in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise that Dwayne Johnson may be being eyed for by Disney. There are also rumors that he could replace Will Smith in an iconic role, as well.

Smith left fans and fellow actors and actresses stunned after the Oscars incident several weeks ago.

Just a matter of minutes after the incident unfolded, Smith won the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of Richard Williams in King Richard (2021). After receiving much criticism following the event, Smith issued an apology and resigned from the Academy. 

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star made his Disney debut in Aladdin (2019) and the live-action blockbuster earned over $1 billion at the Hollywood box office. Though Disney has still been using content with Will Smith, it seems there might be a major change to his iconic role as Genie in the upcoming  Aladdin 2project.

A rumor has recently formed that Dwayne Johnson could take over the role as Genie in the sequel. Genie, originally played by Robin Williams in the animated film, has been one of the most beloved characters in the world of Disney for 30 years.

will smith genie aladdin

If Johnson were to take on the role of Genie in Aladdin 2, there’s no doubt he could do an excellent job and would bring charisma and a different personality to the role.

Dwayne Johnson got his start with The Walt Disney Company when he signed on to star in the film The Gameplan (2007) alongside child star Madison Pettis. He would also star in Race to Witch Mountain (2009) just two years later before a period of almost a decade would occur without him starring in a Disney film.

Of course, he returned to Disney to be the voice of Maui in the beloved Disney Animations Studios film Moana (2018).

Petition to Bring Johnny Depp Back to ‘Pirates’ Franchise Continues

For weeks, Disney fans across the world have been watching and reading the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard trial. The trial began on April 11, with Depp suing Heard for $50 million, saying that she ruined his reputation and cost him work because she accused him of domestic abuse in a 2018 OpEd. Heard is countersuing Depp for $100 million.

While the actual court is still hearing testimony and has not made its decision yet, the court of public opinion has made itself loud and clear. Many people have accused his ex-wife, Amber Heard, of lying, perjuring herself, and acting during her testimony. She has also been accused of quoting lines from movies during her testimony and pretending they are things she and Depp said to each other.

During the trial, Depp and others who have testified on his behalf have claimed that the Washington Post OpEd was part of the reason Disney split with Depp and will no longer work with him on the popular Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Depp has claimed that he had a verbal agreement in place to get paid $22 million for the sixth film for his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the franchise, but that fell apart after the OpEd came out. Disney has also announced a new Pirates film is in the works with Margot Robbie in the starring role.

Johnny Depp pIrates of the caribbean

Anger at Heard has grown as the trial has progressed, and a Change.org petition to bring Depp back into the Pirates fold has seen a new fire. In just the past few days, the petition — which was started 2 years ago — has seen more than 100,000 signatures added to it. In part, the petition reads:

Amber Heard ruined Johnny Depp’s life as well as career. Johnny Depp has always been one of the greatest actors ever since he started acting around the age of 21. This man NEVER disappoints when he makes a movie, so why continue to keep him from doing Pirates of the Caribbean?? That movie is nothing without him! Please sign this petition to help Johnny Depp get back to what he enjoys and does best. If men get ridiculed for hitting women, and lose their jobs/career, then that’s exactly what should be happening to Amber Heard. She is currently working on the 2nd Aqua-man and she should have been dropped from that movie and everything else she is working on as that is not fair to let her continue to have her life when she ruined someone else’s.

Johnny Depp deserves his life back the way it was before Amber Heard came along, because no actor or actress could ever say this man is not an amazing actor. If you were falsely accused of something you did not do, then there’s proof you didn’t do it and you still were treated like a bad person, wouldn’t you want Justice??

Pirates of the Caribbean

The trial is expected to last a few more weeks at a minimum. Depp’s testimony along lasted for nearly a month, and Heard only began her own testimony last week. While the trial seems to be improving Depp’s image, it does not seem to be helping Heard’s. According to reports, Heard’s part in the new Aquaman movie has been cut to just 10 minutes as outrage grows and fans demand she be fired from the franchise.