Pirates of the Caribbean 6 is still in works, despite Depp and Knightley's exit, confirms producer

The fate of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has been uncertain ever since Johnny Depp and Disney parted ways. The last 'POTC' movie, 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales', was released in 2017, and there has been no news about a new installment since then. The split between Depp and Disney was not amicable, as the studio fired Depp after he was accused of domestic violence by his ex-wife Amber Heard.

Rumors about Johnny Depp's return to 'Pirates of the Caribbean 6' as Jack Sparrow have been circulating among fans and netizens for the past two years. However, these rumors were proven to be false when Johnny Depp, during his defamation trial against Amber Heard, stated that he would never work with Disney again. As a result, a female-led spinoff starring Margot Robbie was announced, with 'Birds of Prey' screenwriter Christina Hodson writing the script.

Now, another main actor in the franchise, Keira Knightley, has also commented on her potential return for the next installment. Knightley played Elizabeth Swann's character in the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films and made a brief appearance in 'Dead Men Tell No Tales'. In a recent interview with ETonline during the premiere of her Hulu original movie, 'Boston Stranger', Knightley revealed that she may not return for 'Pirates of the Caribbean 6'. When asked about Elizabeth Swann's potential involvement, she replied, "What about Elizabeth Swann? I mean, she sailed away so nicely. She sailed away in brilliant style."

Fans have been left wondering about the future of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise after the departure of two main actors. Margot Robbie had previously stated that the female-led spinoff might not be moving forward at all, which producer Jerry Bruckheimer denied earlier this month.

While the future of 'Pirates of the Caribbean' is still uncertain, it is clear that the franchise is not dead. Despite the departures of two main actors, a script is in development, and a new installment is likely to be made in the future.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Jerry Bruckheimer confirmed that the script for 'Pirates of the Caribbean 6' is still in development, and the project is not dead in the water. Bruckheimer stated, "We have a very good script. We developed two of them — the one with Margot Robbie and one with a younger cast. The Margot Robbie one needs a little more work. The younger cast one is close. Hopefully, we’ll get both of them. [Robbie's Pirates film is] alive for me. It’s alive for Disney. We believe we’ll get it made. It’s a very strong story."

It is most likely that the movie Bruckheimer is referring to, which will be made first, is what 'Chernobyl' creator Craig Mazin is writing with franchise veteran Ted Elliott, who scripted the first four Pirates of the Caribbean films.

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