It's been over a decade since the release of Pirates of the Caribbean:
The Curse of the Black Pearl, and 'Pirates' is still one of Disney's most beloved franchises.
Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow has been the driving force behind that movie series's success,
so it only makes sense that Disney would want to capitalize on that success as much as possible.
Unfortunately, Depp's recent legal troubles could jeopardize his participation
in the future movies based on this franchise, which could impact both
his personal and financial future in ways that can't be easily fixed.
Join Trender as we discuss just how much Johnny Depp's future career prospects hinge
on the outcome of the ongoing legal battle between him and his ex-wife Amber Heard.
As it stands right now, it looks increasingly unlikely that he will be invited back by Disney
to reprise his role as Jack Sparrow. That being said, if the court gives him a victory,
it would seem almost unfathomable that Disney wouldn't want to keep a good thing going
by keeping him as an integral part of the film franchise that has made them billions!
Depp Was To Receive $22.5 Million For Pirates 6
Shortly before Pirates: On Stranger Tides was to be released,
numerous outlets reported that Disney had planned on shooting the fifth and sixth
Pirates films back-to-back. However, only the fifth film was ultimately developed.
In March 2017, the Dead Men Tell No Tales' directer
Joachim Ronning confirmed that that installment was only going to be the first
part of two films that would serve as Jack Sparrow's final adventure. Later that year,
producer Jerry Bruckheimer confirmed that a sixth film was still in development.
In 2020, Bruckheimer revealed that the first draft of the sixth film's screenplay had been completed.
Then in 2022, all hell broke loose when the highly-publicized trial
between Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard began. Apparently, however, the behind-the-scenes
drama that Depp was caught up in had been ongoing already for the last four years.
On Monday, May 23, 2022, after weeks of back-and-forth bitter deliberations,
Johnny Depp's agent testified that Depp was to receive $22.5 to star in the sixth installment
of the Pirates franchise before Disney had decided to go in a 'different direction'
after Amber Heard published her now-infamous 2018 op-ed reviving her domestic abuse allegations.
Jack Whigham, an agent who represented Johnny at Range Media Partners
and previously at Creative Artists Agency, testified that the 2018
Washington Post op-ed had a catastrophic impact on the actor's career prospects.
Whigham testified that after the piece was published,
it was nearly impossible for him to get his client into a studio film.
As you are probably already well aware, Depp is currently suing Heard for $50 million, alleging
that she has destroyed his career by putting out false and malicious allegations of domestic
violence. The Depp vs. Heard trial is now entering its fourth week in a courthouse in Fairfax,
Virginia. Depp's team is continuing to call in witnesses to support his claims of innocence.
On the flip side of things, Heard's legal team has yet to present evidence
of her allegations. rShe is expected to start telling her side of things later in the trial.
What Depp Has Revealed About Pirates 6 At Trial
Pirates 6 has been stalled for years now due to various internal issues,
including Depp's legal and personal troubles related to Amber Heard's allegations.
Depp testified in the trial that Disney cut ties with him in 2018
following Heard's op-ed piece. At the moment it's unclear if Disney will reverse their
decision to nix the actor or whether he will be replaced by another actor.
Additionally, no further details have been revealed about the return
of cast members like Geoffrey Rush, Kaya Scodelario, Keira Knightley, or Orlando Bloom.
In 2020, Christina Hodson, best known for penning the screenplay for Birds of Prey,
was reported to be helming a new female-fronted Pirate film for Disney.
It was also reported that actress Margot Robbie was tapped to star in said film.
The film is expected not to be some kind of Pirates of the Caribbean spin-off
but rather an original story with a new cast of characters.
While not much is known about the upcoming film, Depp shared in court
a few insights about the franchise and the potential for a sixth installment.
For one thing, Depp noted that Disney continues to feature his character,
Jack Sparrow, at its theme parks and toy shops around the world.
Most shocking, however, was his revelation that he would
not be returning to do Pirates 6 even if it was offered to him.
After being asked by civil litigation attorney Benjamin Rottenborn if Depp would return to Disney
for another Pirates film if they offered him '$300 million and a million alpacas',
Depp replied by saying that that was the case.
He later added that he felt a deep sense of betrayal by the people he used to work for.
Later on in the trial, Depp revealed that he had never actually seen the first Pirates film, Curse
of the Black Pearl. Despite never watching it, Depp said that he believed that it did pretty well
and that when he was asked back to do more Pirates films, he felt okay about doing so.
Another fascinating disclosure that came from the trial was Depp's revelation that prior to
Heard's op-ed, he had been asked to help take part in writing the Pirates 6 script.
Obviously, this plan has since been scrapped.
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Disney Execs Are Still Unsure If Depp Will Return
It's unknown at present whether or not Johnny Depp will return
to star in Disney's next installment of their blockbuster franchise. It's
clear that Depp currently doesn't want to work with Disney again,
but it's still within the realm of possibility that he might be persuaded to change his mind.
There has been speculation that if the court doesn't rule in his favor, he still may not be
able to make another film within a seven-year time period as per his contract. However,
according to one executive who spoke on condition of anonymity,
Disney is still unsure what their plans are for him.
On another note, Disney production executive Tina Newman recently testified in court in a
pre-recorded video in which she was questioned about whether or not Depp would be back for
Pirates 6. When asked if Disney has plans to feature the star in the upcoming film,
Newman replied by saying that she didn't know one way or another as
the decision didn't fall within her job responsibilities or pay grade.
Newman did confirm that the project is still in development,
but she could not provide any more info on the sequel.
Newman was also asked whether she was aware of any decision-maker within the Disney organization that
ever said that they were no longer considering Depp for potential future roles due to Heard's
2018 allegations. She replied by saying no shortly before her deposition ended.
That being said, Jerry Bruckheimer did make a statement earlier that week in which he appeared
to rule out Depp's return when he said that he was planning on working with Margot Robbie instead.
Depp's Fans Are Petitioning For His Return
Johnny Depp has had a long career in the film industry, but his name will always be synonymous
with his role as Jack Sparrow. While he is not currently attached to any of the Pirates
films in development and has publicly stated that he no longer wishes to work with Disney,
that's something that some of his fans want to see change.
A petition created online on Change.org has gained increasing attention throughout Depp and
Heard's court battle. At the moment over 400,000 signatures have been gathered calling for Depp
to be cast in the upcoming sixth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
Another petition entitled 'Justice for Johnny Depp' has acquired close
to 200,000 signatures of individuals voicing their support for the actor.
It's unclear what the aim is for this particular petition, but
it show's clearly that there are still plenty of supporters who believe in the actor's innocence.
Johnny Is Channeling Jack Sparrow For His Fans Outside The Heard Trial
Outside of the Fairfax, Virginia, courtroom where Johnny Depp has been defending himself from Amber
Heard's accusations for the last four weeks, he's been fielding queries from his vocal supporters.
In one video that's since gone viral on social media,
the actor was seen slipping into his old Jack Sparrow persona.
In the clip, Depp was seen conversing with his fans from the backseat of his SUV.
At one point a fan said that they adored his hair.
Depp replied by waving and displaying his ponytail outside the vehicle's window.
Another fan was then heard praising Depp by saying that he would 'always be Captain Jack Sparrow'.
Depp reacted to that statement by smiling and then slipping into his raspy
Jack voice while saying that 'Sparrow is 'still around somewhere' and that he still sees him
'now and again'. Right after saying that, Depp's car drove away relatively quickly.
Even though such a scene wouldn't be all that out of place at something like a fan convention,
it's pretty alarming that Depp would slip into character at such a serious forum.
Yet again, the allegations that have been brought up against him have been nothing
short of disturbing. Even so, Depp has maintained his innocence from the get-go.
It's hard to imagine a Pirates of the Caribbean film without Johnny Depp,
but it's looking more and more like that's what we're going to get. It remains to be
seen if fans of the long-running film franchise will be receptive to such a stark departure.
Do you think that Disney should allow Johnny Depp to reprise his role as Captain Jack
Sparrow in an upcoming sixth installment of their Pirates' films, or do you think
that the accusations against the actor are too serious to ignore? Let us know in the comments.
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