One of Disney’s most profitable franchises is in a state of transition. The Pirates of the Caribbean series has been a money-printing machine for the Mouse House dating back to when the original film was released in 2003. In total, the five movies have earned more than $4.5 billion worldwide.
But there’s also been a downward trend with the series, at least domestically. The first sequel, Dead Man’s Chest, was the most successful chapter. But since then, each film has made less and less. There was a slight uptick in global box office when On Stranger Tides hit the billion mark in 2011, but by the time Dead Men Tell No Tales reached theaters in 2017, that number was under $800 million worldwide and under $200 million stateside.
It’s also feels like star Johnny Depp is kind of going through the motions at this point. He was a major name back in the mid ‘00s, but now that star has faded. His messy divorce from Amber Heard isn’t helping matters, either. Which is why Disney is now looking to reboot the series.
According to insider Daniel Richtman, the studio is focusing on having a female lead the franchise moving forward and the name at the top of their list is Guardians of the Galaxy and Jumanji star Karen Gillan. Of course, this shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise if you’ve been keeping up, as We Got This Covered told you months ago that Gillan was being eyed. And now, it seems as if Richtman has confirmed our scoop.
Veteran Pirates writer Ted Elliot is once again onboard to pen the script and this time, he has help in the form of Craig Mazin, who’s fresh off of the success of his show Chernobyl. Jerry Bruckheimer and Chad Oman will produce, but a director has yet to be announced. And as for Johnny Depp, well, nothing is confirmed just yet. The DisInsider claims he won’t be involved, but sources close to WGTC – the same ones who told us about Gillan being eyed months ago – say that the studio is considering bringing him back, so we’ll see.
In any case, Pirates of the Caribbean has certainly come a long way from being nothing more than a Disney theme park attraction. It’s still a well-known IP for the Mouse House, one that they certainly don’t want to see die out. And a fresh take with a female lead and a new director may just be what the dormant franchise has been looking for.
Published: May 5, 2020 10:30 pm