Pirates of The Caribbean: Margot Robbie Starrer Reboot in Works? Producer Speaks

Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has been surrounded by uncertainty amid many conflicting reports. A planned female-led spin-off starring Margot Robbie seemed to have gone sideways, while a reboot appeared to be in limbo. However, a recent interview with producer Jerry Bruckheimer reveals a possible new direction, with both the Robbie film and a separate reboot potentially moving forward.

In a conversation with Entertainment Weekly, Jerry Bruckheimer clarified that these are distinct and different projects. One is a reboot featuring a fresh narrative and new characters, scripted by Jeff Nathanson, who also wrote the screenplay for the last part, ‘Dead Men Tell No Tales‘ in 2017. The other is the Margot Robbie-led project, envisioned as a fresh take on the franchise with a stronger female presence, being penned by Christina Hodson.

Bruckheimer expressed positiveness about the prospects for both films, stating, “We hope to get them both made, and I think Disney agrees they really want to make the Margot one, too.” This statement contradicts Robbie’s comments from November 2022, where she suggested Disney had lost interest in her project.

‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Spin-Off:

2 ‘PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN’ movies are in the works, confirms Jerry Bruckheimer.

• A reboot written by Jeff Nathanson (‘The Lion King’)

• A spin-off starring Margot Robbie.

(Source: @EW) pic.twitter.com/ybZGNyyxED

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) May 20, 2024

The ‘Dead Men Tell No Tales’ team, including Bruckheimer, writer Nathanson, and co-directors Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg are reuniting for the reboot. Bruckheimer praised the writer’s progress, saying, “He’s cracked it. He’s got an amazing third act. We just need to refine the first and second acts, and then we’ll get there. But he wrote a great, great third act.”

According to Variety, this upcoming reboot signifies a divergence from established characters, likely excluding Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow. His future with the franchise remains uncertain due to legal issues. Despite this, Bruckheimer remains hopeful for Depp’s return, stating, “It’s a reboot, but if it were up to me, he would be in it. I love him. He’s a good friend. He’s an amazing artist, and his portrayal of Captain Jack is unique. That was not on the page—that was him channelling a bit of Pepé Le Pew and Keith Richards. That was his interpretation of Jack Sparrow.”

The ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ franchise has been a tremendous commercial success. Each of the five films has grossed over $650 million worldwide, with “Dead Man’s Chest” (2006) and “On Stranger Tides” (2011) surpassing the $1 billion mark.