Orlando Bloom’s star was on the rise in the early 2000s. Becoming a household name following his swashbuckling antics in the first three Pirates flicks, his next move should have secured his status as part of the Hollywood elite – buddying up with Peter Jackson. As fan fave Legolas, surely being a part of one of the most treasured fantasy adaptations would have confirmed his pulling power? His forays into smaller character pieces, Cameron Crowe’s Elizabethtown, Brit dramedy The Calcium Kid, showcased his abilities without the use of a codpiece – and sadly, that was that. After re-joining Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth universe for The Hobbit, he now looks set to dip his toes back into the azure blue waters of the caribbean. Yep – Bloom is in talks to reprise his role as Will Turner for Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.
Speaking out at Oz Comic-Con this last weekend, Bloom addressed the rumours that he might be coming back, saying that “There have certainly been some discussions about it and I’m open to it.” What this could indicate is that he’s been involved in an informal chat about the movie. But, has an offer been made? He didn’t expand on specifics, instead openly gushing over his experience on the franchise:
“That whole experience working with Johnny (Depp) and (director) Gore (Verbinski) was really amazing for me. I had a great time working with Johnny, one of the reasons I jumped at the opportunity (to be in the first Pirates) was because Johnny was involved. I was such a massive fan of Johnny Depp growing up so to get up close and personal to Johnny and see how he worked as an actor was just a massive gift.”
Bloom was notably absent from the last instalment – the 2011 fourquel On Stranger Tides – so could a return really work? The chemistry he shared onscreen with Depp for the first three flicks between 2002 and 2007 was one of the film’s biggest successes. But since his departure, Depp’s drawling Captain Jack Sparrow has continued to soar into even more of a caricature than ever. Does the series really need the straight-laced Turner? Either way, Depp, Geoffrey Rush and Keith Richards have all expressed a desire to return. Keira Knightley? Not so much.
Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is scheduled for release on July 7th, 2017.