Pirates of the Caribbean 6: Release Date Hints, Will Johnny Depp Return, and What We Know So Far

Disney wants more 'Pirates of the Caribbean' — just don’t expect to set sail anytime soon. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer is out there talking about it, which is good, but the actual movies are still in the slow-cook phase. The gist: there are two different 'Pirates' projects in play, both real, both active, neither ready to shoot tomorrow.

Two projects, two directions

Bruckheimer says he’s juggling a pair of films: one is the long-discussed Margot Robbie-led spin on the franchise, and the other is a reboot that people keep whispering could bring Johnny Depp back as Captain Jack. Emphasis on 'could' — none of that is official yet, but here’s what Bruckheimer actually put on the record:

'It’s two different movies. We hope to get ’em both made, and I think Disney agrees they really want to make the Margot one, too.'

Where the scripts really are

Screenwriter Jeff Nathanson (who wrote the fifth movie) is deep in the reboot draft. According to Bruckheimer, the third act is in great shape, but the first two acts still need work. That’s a pretty candid status update — and it also means time. On top of that, both scripts have to run the Disney executive gauntlet before anyone calls in the ships and cannons.

'I think he’s cracked it. He’s got an amazing third act. We just gotta clean up the first and second and then we’ll get there. But he wrote a great, great third act.'

Best-case scenario math: if the pages get locked soon and production actually moves, you’re looking at mid-to-late 2027, maybe 2028. Any hiccups push that further.

Johnny Depp: what he’s thinking

Bruckheimer says Depp has read material and liked what he saw, which has him interested in returning as Jack Sparrow. After a very public few years, Hollywood has started working with him again — so the door isn’t closed. Whether Disney and Depp can line everything up is the part nobody’s confirming yet.

Craig Mazin’s 'too weird' pitch that Disney bought

Here’s the part that made my eyebrows go up. Craig Mazin (yes, 'Chernobyl' and 'The Last of Us') pitched a take he thought Disney would never buy. They did. He wrote a script he called fantastic, and then the strikes happened and everything sat in limbo. Now, Bruckheimer and his team are shepherding the process forward.

'We pitched it and thought there’s no way they’re buying it, it’s too weird. And they did! And then he wrote a fantastic script and the strike happened and everyone’s waiting around.'

Meanwhile, Orlando Bloom isn’t getting briefed

For anyone assuming the old guard is secretly in the loop, Orlando Bloom says not so fast. On ITV’s 'This Morning', he basically shrugged when asked what’s going on:

'There’s been all kinds of things. Who knows? There’s been talk [of a sixth movie]. I can’t say anything at the moment, because I really don’t know. I think they’re trying to work out what it would all look like.'

What’s the deal with the Margot Robbie movie?

Robbie said back in 2022 that Disney decided not to move forward with her female-led 'Pirates' at that time. Cut to now, and Bruckheimer says Disney really wants to make the Margot one. Translation: the pause seemed more corporate than creative, and the project is back in the mix to be formally presented again.

The franchise scorecard (and why Disney cares)

These movies have hauled in around $4.5 billion worldwide across five entries. Critical response has been a roller coaster, but the money has been very real. Here’s a quick snapshot of how the films performed and how they’re rated:

• 'The Curse of the Black Pearl' — Aug 15, 2003 — $654M — IMDb 8.1/10 — Rotten Tomatoes 79% critics, 86% audience
• 'Dead Man's Chest' — Jun 24, 2006 — $1.06B — IMDb 7.4/10 — Rotten Tomatoes 53% critics, 72% audience
• 'At World's End' — Jun 1, 2007 — $961M — IMDb 7.1/10 — Rotten Tomatoes 43% critics, 72% audience
• 'On Stranger Tides' — May 7, 2011 — $1.04B — IMDb 6.6/10 — Rotten Tomatoes 32% critics, 54% audience
• 'Dead Men Tell No Tales' — May 26, 2017 — $795M — IMDb 6.5/10 — Rotten Tomatoes 30% critics, 60% audience

Bottom line

Bruckheimer is bullish, there are two active 'Pirates' movies in development, Depp is intrigued, and Disney seems newly interested in the Margot Robbie idea. But until the scripts are locked and the studio makes something official, manage expectations. If everything clicks, circle 2027–2028. If not, we wait a little longer.

If you want to revisit the saga, all five 'Pirates of the Caribbean' films are streaming on Disney+ in the US.