Disney’s Pirates Of The Caribbean 6 is still searching for a script, but producer Jerry Bruckheimer says the team is moving again and Johnny Depp could return as Captain Jack Sparrow if he likes the way the part is written. Bruckheimer said the movie does not yet have a production timeframe or cast in place, even as development continues on what would be the first new film in the saga since 2017.
The franchise has been on a lengthy hiatus for nearly a decade, despite the fact that three of its first four movies became $1 billion box-office hits. Bruckheimer told Collider that the team is “still working on a screenplay” and is “close on part of it,” which is the clearest sign yet that Disney has not shelved the project after moving through different stages of development since at least October 2019.
The last entry, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, left the story with enough loose ends to keep the series alive. In that film, Henry Turner broke the trident of Poseidon and destroyed every sea curse in place, freeing Will Turner from his duty as captain of the Flying Dutchman. A post-credits scene then showed a shadow resembling Davy Jones behind William Turner’s bed before the camera dropped to the floor, revealing barnacles and water and teasing Jones’ return.
That history matters because the sixth film has been stalled for years by multiple behind-the-scenes issues, including Johnny Depp’s long legal battle with Amber Heard. For now, the focus appears to be getting Depp back in the role that made him the face of the series, and Bruckheimer’s comments suggest that remains a live possibility rather than a closed door. Whether that happens will depend on the screenplay now being finished, and on whether Depp likes what he sees.
The practical case for the studio is clear enough. The first five Pirates of the Caribbean movies are streaming on Disney+, keeping the brand visible while the studio tries to turn a long-running idea into an actual movie. After years of false starts, the question is no longer whether Pirates Of The Caribbean 6 exists in theory. It does. The real question is whether Disney can finally lock the script, the cast and the return of Jack Sparrow into the same film.