Pirates of the Caribbean Reboot Runs Aground Before It Even Sets Sail

Disney is busy mapping out a Pirates of the Caribbean reboot, but if you were hoping the original trilogy captain would climb back aboard... yeah, about that.

Gore Verbinski says he is out

Gore Verbinski, who directed the first three Pirates movies, told ScreenRant that he is not coming back to the franchise. He was promoting his new movie, 'Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die,' and made it pretty clear he feels he already put everything he had into Pirates. He still thinks the series has plenty of stories left, but for him, the thrill of discovery is gone when it comes to this particular ship.

'I just don't have anything. I feel like I did three and, for me, it was a great opportunity to learn and to try something.'

'I think we have to be at a place where the wheels are about to fall off. I think once you kind of know how to do something, it becomes less interesting or less dangerous. There's just so little time and there are so many stories to tell.'

Translation: he loved doing it, he learned a lot, but going back to something familiar does not excite him the way those first films did. He also wished whoever picks up the next one gets the best shot at it.

Where the reboot stands

• June 2025: Producer Jerry Bruckheimer told ScreenRant the sixth film was being written. They really want to make it, but it hinges on getting the script right. He called it a reboot and said it would feature both new faces and some returning characters.
• Around then, Orlando Bloom said on This Morning that he would love to see the original crew reunite: 'it'd be great to get the band back together.'
• Two months later, Bruckheimer told Entertainment Weekly that Johnny Depp was open to playing Jack Sparrow again: '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.'

So what does this mean?

Disney is pushing forward on a reboot, some legacy cast could show up if the script delivers, and Verbinski will not be at the helm. Not shocking, but still a bit of a bummer given how much his voice shaped those first three movies. On the bright side, he thinks there are more adventures to be had in this world — just not ones he wants to direct.