There have been reports suggesting that Disney is interested in developing original movies in order to appeal to younger film fans, but that doesn’t mean the Mouse House is going to let key franchises sit on the shelf. As Marvel and Lucasfilm continue to make new projects, Disney has been attempting to get a Pirates of the Caribbean reboot off the ground. A new installment in that lucrative series has been in the works for some time, though nothing has received the green light yet. Based on the latest updates, Disney is still ironing out the right angle for Pirates of the Caribbean 6, and it sounds like a blend of multiple ideas that have been tossed around.
In the latest edition of his newsletter, industry insider Jeff Sneider shared new information about Pirates of the Caribbean 6. According to him, Oscar nominee Krysty Wilson-Cairns is onboard to write the script, and the story apparently revolves around Jack Sparrow’s son and a new character played by Margot Robbie (who was long rumored to star in a spinoff film). The idea is for this new movie to “capture the tone of the original films but with a modern edge and a tighter budget.” It’s said to be a top priority for new Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro and Walt Disney Company president and CCO Dana Walden.
Though Jack Sparrow’s son is poised to be a main character in the reboot, it isn’t a guarantee that Jack Sparrow himself will appear. A Johnny Depp return is still very much up in the air, partially due to the budgetary concerns. Depp would likely command a sizable payday, so if Disney wants to keep costs down, they might decide to forgo a Depp reunion.
Should Jack Sparrow Be Part of the Pirates of the Caribbean Reboot?
Jack Sparrow has been the face of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise from the very beginning, so Disney’s interest in connecting the reboot to the character in some capacity is understandable. Even if Depp doesn’t return, marketing the film around the premise of Jack Sparrow’s son following his father’s footsteps and journeying across the high seas could be a way to generate buzz with casual audiences. At the same time, this angle contains a problem that has plagued so many franchises in the past: an over-reliance on legacy elements.
We’ve seen many established brands like Marvel, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings struggle with moving on from the past. Pirates of the Caribbean is now in danger of doing the same, and there’s no real reason for it. Building a reboot around Robbie’s character would be a way to carve out a fresh path for the franchise, representing a true new beginning for the series. If there are ties to Jack Sparrow, it risks undercutting Robbie as the new series protagonist. Even if Depp doesn’t return, the storyline of his son will likely overshadow anything else in the film.
It’s a curious decision on Disney’s part since Robbie is more than capable of carrying a studio tentpole herself (see: Barbie). Admittedly, she doesn’t have a perfect box office track record (A Big Bold Beautiful Journey was one of last year’s most infamous flops), but the Pirates of the Caribbean brand name is the main attraction here. When you factor in that people seemed to grow tired of Jack Sparrow’s signature schtick the longer the original Pirates of the Caribbean series went on, the new movie would arguably be better served by making a clean break from Sparrow and any related elements and just focusing on Robbie’s new character, who could carry the franchise moving forward.
Of course, it’s important to keep in mind that nothing is official yet. From the sound of things, Pirates of the Caribbean 6 is still in early development (there’s no director attached yet), so things can still change from here. It will be interesting to see how Wilson-Cairn’s script rounds into form. Balancing legacy elements with fresh faces is a trick balance to pull off, so if this is truly the plot Disney wants to pursue, it will have to be handled delicately. Otherwise, the Pirates of the Caribbean rebooted series could be over before it begins.
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