Pirates of the Caribbean 6 Update Is a Mixed Treasure—Gold for Some, a Curse for Others
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer says Pirates of the Caribbean 6 is finally gathering wind, but his latest update also cools the buzziest character rumors — including chatter that Jack Sparrow’s son will take the helm.
Jerry Bruckheimer just put some wind back in the Pirates sails — and also reminded everyone this voyage is still a ways off.
First things first: timing
If you were hoping to return to the Caribbean before buzzing the tower again, adjust expectations. Bruckheimer says the next Top Gun is likely to hit theaters before Pirates of the Caribbean 6, based on where both projects sit in development. Translation: Pirates is moving, but it is not the next one out of the dock.
So who is leading this new crew?
On the rumor front, Bruckheimer nudged one long-whispered idea forward and shoved another overboard. When pressed about the chatter, he allowed that part of what you have heard is on track:
'They’re close on part of it.'
Asked to clarify if that 'part' points to Margot Robbie — and not the whole Jack Sparrow’s son storyline — he didn’t exactly play coy:
'I think you’re going up the right road.'
That lines up with previous talk of Robbie headlining a new chapter. The 'Jack’s kid takes over' angle, less so.
Where the script stands
Disney has been treating the Pirates revival as a real priority, but Bruckheimer keeps hammering the same point: nothing sails without the right script. His words, not mine:
'We’re working on a script. If we don’t have it on the page, it’s not gonna get on the screen. We had two scripts at one point, and then one kind of dropped out, and we kind of went with the other one.'
Here is the paper trail so far: Oscar nominee Krysty Wilson-Cairns (1917) has been in talks to write the new installment, and before that, longtime franchise writer Ted Elliott took a swing at a draft. Last year brought rumblings that Johnny Depp could return as Jack Sparrow in a supporting capacity. Whether that is still part of the plan remains unsettled.
- Top Gun 3 looks set to arrive before Pirates 6.
- Bruckheimer signaled that the Margot Robbie-led direction is the real one, not the Jack Sparrow’s son idea.
- Disney has been prioritizing the Pirates reboot phase.
- Krysty Wilson-Cairns (1917) has been in talks to script; Ted Elliott worked on a previous draft.
- Bruckheimer is producing and will not push go without a script he likes.
- Johnny Depp’s possible supporting return as Jack Sparrow is still up in the air.