Johnny Depp is in negotiations to return to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, producer Jerry Bruckheimer confirmed at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Anaheim, California. Speaking with Deadline on August 16, Bruckheimer said, "We're talking with Johnny, we're working on a screenplay, and hopefully we can get this done," signaling the clearest indication yet that Depp could reprise his signature role as Captain Jack Sparrow after years of uncertainty.
According to Deadline, sources close to the project say the sixth Pirates film will not simply be another Jack Sparrow adventure. Instead, the story is expected to center on a new protagonist played by Margot Robbie, with Depp's Sparrow appearing as a supporting character. Page Six and Us Weekly, via Yahoo, both echoed this framing, describing the approach as an evolution of the franchise rather than a straightforward continuation of Depp's five previous outings.
Bruckheimer has produced every Pirates of the Caribbean film since the series launched in 2003 with The Curse of the Black Pearl, which introduced Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley to global audiences. Depp went on to star in 2006's Dead Man's Chest, 2007's At World's End, 2011's On Stranger Tides, and 2017's Dead Men Tell No Tales. That fifth film, according to figures cited by Deadline and Page Six from The Numbers, was the lowest-grossing entry in the franchise at $795.9 million worldwide, even as the series as a whole has generated more than $4.5 billion at the global box office across five movies.
The renewed talks mark a notable turnaround for Depp, whose future with Disney appeared finished after his highly publicized 2022 defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard. During that trial, Depp testified that Disney severed ties with him in 2018 following abuse allegations made by Heard, to whom he was married from 2015 to 2017. Depp sued Heard over a 2018 op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post that he argued implied he was abusive; a jury ultimately found both Depp and Heard liable for defaming each other, and Depp was awarded $1 million, according to Page Six.
Given that history, Yahoo noted that the news of Bruckheimer opening discussions about a Depp return came as a surprise to many fans when it first surfaced. Bruckheimer had actually flagged the possibility earlier, telling Entertainment Weekly in August 2025 that he had begun conversations with Depp about a sixth film. At the time, Bruckheimer said the deciding factor would be the script itself: "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."
Not everyone in the Pirates orbit expected Depp to come back. Screenwriter Stuart Beattie suggested in 2018, in comments to DailyMailTV cited by Page Six, that Depp was effectively done with the role after Dead Men Tell No Tales. "I think he's had a great run," Beattie said. "Obviously, he's made that character his own and it's become the character he's most famous for now. And kids all over the world love him as that character so I think it's been great for him, it's been great for us, so I'm just very, very happy about it. I think Jack Sparrow will be his legacy. It's the only character he's played five times."
Depp's public profile has been rising again regardless of the Pirates negotiations. He is set to star as Ebenezer Scrooge in Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol, a Paramount Pictures release scheduled for November 13, not a Disney production. Page Six and Yahoo both reported that Depp made a surprise appearance at San Diego Comic-Con in July while promoting the film, showing up in full Scrooge makeup and costume and appearing largely unrecognizable to onlookers. That film will represent Depp's first major screen role since the conclusion of his defamation case against Heard, according to Page Six.
The Ebenezer cast also includes Ian McKellen, who told Variety in April that Depp was in "spankingly good form" on set. "Effervescent, funny, irreverent, serious, all at the same time," McKellen said. "It was a bit of a love fest, really. I fell in love with him. He's very obliging to his fellow actors. There was a wonderful feeling on the set." The film also features Andrea Riseborough as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Severance actor Tramell Tillman as the Ghost of Christmas Present, Harry Potter's Rupert Grint as Bob Cratchit, and Sam Claflin and Daisy Ridley in roles that have not yet been detailed.
Beyond the Depp negotiations, Bruckheimer used the D23 conversation with Deadline to weigh in on the broader upheaval at Paramount. He addressed reports that new owner David Ellison is considering relocating Paramount out of California, a move tied to an antitrust case brought by state attorneys general and delays surrounding Paramount's pursuit of a merger with Warner Bros Discovery. "Look, we want to keep 'em here," Bruckheimer said. "It's unfortunate that it's got this kind of political circle around it, which is a shame, and hopefully they work it all out, they stay here, and the business gets healthier."
Bruckheimer, who also produces the Top Gun franchise for Paramount, has been an outspoken backer of Ellison's efforts to acquire Warner Bros Discovery. At a CinemaCon panel last spring alongside The Odyssey producer Emma Thomas, he dismissed calls to sign a petition opposing the merger, saying, "I think the train has left the station. I think this is well on its way. You can sign all the petitions you want, but it's already being approved by European countries. It's happening. So there's not much we can do about it other than take David at his word that he's going to make 30 movies a year, and that would be fantastic."
For now, no official announcement has been made confirming Depp's casting, a release date, or further plot details for the sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film. A representative for Depp did not immediately respond to Page Six's request for comment. Bruckheimer's remarks at D23 suggest talks are active, but as with the Ebenezer role, the actor's involvement appears to hinge on the final script.
