Pirates of the Caribbean creator gives major Johnny Depp return update
The creator of Pirates of the Caribbean has given a major update on Johnny Depp returning to his role as Captain Jack Sparrow.
Depp has not appeared on screen as the legendary pirate captain for eight years, with rumours in that time that the lead role in future films would go to actors such as Margot Robbie.
In a new interview, Jerry Bruckheimer, one of the lead creators who brought the iconic Disney ride to life and turned it into a multi-billion dollar franchise, has revealed the condition that would need to be met for a Johnny Depp return.
Depp’s involvement in the franchise was placed in jeopardy after allegations were made against the actor of being a ‘wife beater’ in 2018 following his divorce with Amber Heard, a claim that later saw him sue The Sun for libel.
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In this trial Heard accused Depp of prolonged sexual and physical abuse, with the trial finding 12 instances in which he had assaulted Heard proven on the balance of probability - a lower standard than what is required in a criminal trial. Depp's defamation suit was rejected.
Then a high profile trial in 2022 saw him sue Heard for describing herself as a ‘public figure representing domestic abuse’ in the Washington Post, though she did not name him.
The Pirates of the Caribbean actor was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages, with a jury finding that Heard had defamed him.
Meanwhile, Heard was awarded $2m in damages for one of her countersuits.
Despite it being a tumultuous few years for Depp, this doesn't bother Jerry Bruckheimer, as he confirmed that he is open to Depp returning.
In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Bruckheimer revealed that he had conversations with Depp about returning to what is arguably his most iconic role.
Speaking about this hope, Bruckheimer said: “If he likes the way the part's written, I think he would do it.
"It's all about what's on the page, as we all know."
Bruckheimer had previously stated that any new Pirates film would be some sort of reboot, but that he would love for Depp to return to his role to play a part.
He said: “It's a reboot, but if it was up to me, he would be in it.
"I love him. He's a good friend. He's an amazing artist.”
He is not the only actor from the original films to want to return to their role either with Orlando Bloom having been frank about his desire to return to the role of Will Turner.
Bloom said in an appearance at a recent Comic Con: “Look, those experiences and those movies were phenomenal. Working with that team was so great.
“Jerry [Bruckheimer] produced these amazing movies. Never say never. I don’t know what the premise is, I haven’t heard yet. But I think that world was phenomenal.
“We built a world there that was very unique. I definitely had a lot of fun doing that. If there was something really fun and cool to do, I would do that. I think they’ve got all sorts of ideas that we could see. There’s plenty of ocean out there.”
Topics: Johnny Depp, Disney, Orlando Bloom
Michael Slavin