Pirates of the Caribbean 6 Is Full Steam Ahead, Jerry Bruckheimer Confirms

Well, it's been almost a decade since we got a new Pirates of the Caribbean movie, and honestly, that's kind of wild for a franchise that printed money for Disney in the 2000s. Remember when three of those flicks crossed the billion-dollar mark? Not many franchises can say that. But after 2017's Dead Men Tell No Tales wrapped up with a sort-of, maybe cliffhanger, all we've heard since is a lot of noise and not a lot of solid news. If you feel like the Pirates universe has been stuck in Davy Jones's locker for the past few years, you're not wrong.

Is There Actually a Sixth Movie Happening?

Short answer: Kind of, but also… not really. Since at least late 2019, Disney has bounced around with different ideas and plans for Pirates 6. It keeps drifting in and out of development, like it has a broken compass. The reasons? Oh boy, where to start:

• Major behind-the-scenes drama, especially with Johnny Depp's very public legal mess with Amber Heard. That slowed everything down and made 'Will he or won't he return as Jack Sparrow' the million-dollar question.
• No finished script. In fact, not even an unfinished script they're happy with. They're still tinkering.
• No cast, no filming dates, and no official green light. So, basically, not much has actually happened for the last seven years.

So What Do the People in Charge Say?

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer just gave Collider an update, and here's the gist: While they haven't locked down a script or sent out casting calls yet, they're "still working on a screenplay" and apparently they're "close on part of it." (I know, not exactly reassuring after all these years.) As for the big question everyone keeps asking—will Johnny Depp ever put on that eyeliner and hat again?—Bruckheimer said Depp "may rejoin the franchise if he likes the way the part's written". Translated: If they can come up with something good enough to tempt Depp back, it's possible. Don't hold your breath, but at least they're not ruling it out.

The State of the Story

If you're fuzzy on how things left off in Dead Men Tell No Tales, here's a quick memory jog. Brenton Thwaites's Henry Turner shattered Poseidon's trident, which broke every ocean curse at once. This let his dad, Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), finally quit his not-so-great gig as the Flying Dutchman's cursed captain—a job he only got back in 2007 by stabbing Davy Jones's heart. That happy ending let him walk on dry land again and reunite with his wife, Elizabeth (Keira Knightley), who's also Henry's mom, in case you've lost track.

Meanwhile, Geoffrey Rush’s Captain Barbossa went out with a bang (and some parental feelings) as he sacrificed himself to save Carina (Kaya Scodelario). Oh yeah, and that post-credits tease: Will Turner is sleeping when a familiar barnacled shadow (Davy Jones, anyone?) appears, hinting the guy might not be as dead as we thought after At World's End. Is that the plot for Pirates 6? Who knows. But with all the focus on whether Jack Sparrow returns, it could go almost any direction, depending on whether Depp signs on.

Where to Watch and What's Next

Until Disney actually gets its act together, you can rewatch the first five movies on Disney+. Maybe, just maybe, we'll see more pirate shenanigans in the future—but for now, all that treasure is still buried.