‘Pirates of the Caribbean 6’: Is Disney’s Action Epic Officially Happening? [Exclusive]

When in doubt, always expect a sequel, reboot, or other form of IP expansion to be in Hollywood’s pipeline. Although this adage is widely understood among audiences, there are some cases when franchises inexplicably stall, even if a new installment seems like a guarantee for studios to greenlight. Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the landmark movie series of the 21st century. Beginning with its origins as a theme park ride at the Magic Kingdom in Florida, the action-adventure franchise, starring Johnny Depp as the swashbuckling Captain Jack Sparrow, dominated the box office across five movies from 2003 to 2017. With the Walt Disney Company more bullish than ever to churn out sequels and live-action remakes, how could a sixth installment in the Pirates series be taking so long? According to producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Pirates remains a top priority for Disney — even if the voyage to get there has been choppy.

Margot Robbie Is Involved With ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 6’

In 2024, the Top Gun: Maverick and F1 mega-producer told Collider‘s Steven Weintraub that he and his team are “working” on a sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film.

“Jeff Nathanson (screenwriter of the last entry in 2017, Dead Men Tell No Tales) is working on a script. We have another one… We have two, and we don’t know who’s going to win the horse race at this point. But hopefully in the next month, I’ll have a script, and maybe Disney will want to make it,” Bruckheimer told Collider.

Most notably, he confirmed plans to reboot the franchise and introduce new stories in the seven seas, indicating that Depp’s tenure as Jack Sparrow will conclude. Since these announcements two years ago, the sixth Pirates of the Caribbean has been stuck in development hell. The most noteworthy breakthrough in the meantime has been the rumor of Margot Robbie being attached to this long-gestating project. “She’s still involved,” Bruckheimer told The Wrap in 2025.

Despite this confirmation, the producer has not closed the door on Depp’s return to the franchise after nearly a decade, at least on a conditional basis. Revealing that the star would be interested in embarking on another adventure, Bruckheimer said, “If he likes the way the part’s written, I think he would do it,” adding, “It’s all about what’s on the page, as we all know… We are still working on a screenplay. We want to make it.” In 2026, he affirmed, “They’re close on part of it,” when responding to theories about Robbie’s casting and the presence of Jack Sparrow’s son in the story.

‘The Last of Us’ Craig Mazin Wrote a Pirates of the Caribbean Script

Image via HBO

Without a script, you don’t have a movie, let alone a major, tent-pole Disney blockbuster. With Jeff Nathanson eying a series reboot, Ted Elliott (co-screenwriter for the first four movies) and Craig Mazin have been attached to pen the sixth installment that would serve as a continuation of the Pirates story. In a recent Collider interview, Mazin, best known as the creator of HBO’s Chernobyl and The Last of Us, was asked about his involvement in the series amid various delays caused by the 2023 WGA and SAG strikes. “We came up with this really cool story,” Mazin said of his collaboration with Elliott, who would later write a full script that would get sidelined due to the industry strikes. However, Mazin confessed, “I actually don’t know what’s going on with that,” but quipped that he’s inspired to reach out to Bruckheimer.

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Disney Already Proved Pirates of the Caribbean Doesn’t Need Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow in ‘Pirates 6’

The long-running franchise needs to leave the Depp end of the pool.

As of April 2026, resolute answers regarding the sixth Pirates of the Caribbean are nowhere to be found. Dead Men Tell No Tales ended with a post-credits scene featuring the return of Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, and Bill Nighy in their respective roles, potentially setting up the events for another sequel. Directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, following in the footsteps of the series’ architect, Gore Verbinski, the film’s poor critical response reflected a sense of Pirates exhaustion. Its $794 million global performance at the box office is impressive on the surface, but the gross was a significant drop-off from its previous billion-dollar installments, and the budgets certainly weren’t getting slimmer.

Johnny Depp’s Recent Controversy Has Made Pirates of the Caribbean a Tougher Sell

The biggest elephant in the room regarding a new Pirates movie is Johnny Depp’s status in culture at large. Depp, whose reputation has plummeted amid the scandal and subsequent trial surrounding abuse allegations by his wife, Amber Heard, might be too radioactive for Disney to latch on to. It’s a subject the studio and principal creative figures seem to be hesitant to touch, as going forward without Depp would benefit Disney’s PR while simultaneously upsetting die-hard fans who want to relive the glory of the 2000s movies.

As with most projects trapped in development hell, a new Pirates of the Caribbean film is seemingly adrift at sea. While everyone has ideas and A-list stars expressed interest, nothing has properly crystallized over the last few years. Knowing Disney’s business model, a return to one of their most bankable franchises for a new generation of audiences would hardly be surprising.