Johnny Depp Pirates of the Caribbean boss just shared the best news | Films | Entertainment

Back in 2017 everything looked set for the franchise to sail the Hollywood seas for many years and sequels to come. But then Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s imploding marriage and subsequent toxic revelations in a succession of court cases ran his film career aground. But amid the wreckage, his devoted fans have never lost faith – and nor it seems has the most important man of all. Depp and Disney might have parted ways very acrimoniously, but the Pirates of the Caribbean films are helmed by one industry titan and he just spoke out about the franchise’s future with the Captain Jack Sparrow star.

Jerry Bruckheimer is one of the most powerful men in Hollywood. He has produced everything from Flashdance and the original Top Gun to the Pirates, Bad Boys and Beverley Hills Cop franchises.

He is also potentially even more dominant than ever right now with the staggering success of the Top Gun sequel Maverick, which smashed past a billion dollars at the box office and is constantly being referred to as “the film that saved Hollywood” by getting audiences back into cinemas after the pandemic.

Pirates parent studio Disney and leading man Depp may have had a very public and acrimonious falling out, but if anyone can fix it, it is Bruckheimer. Excitingly, he spoke out this week on the subject.

When the fall-out from Depp being dropped from the Fantastic Beasts franchise and then apparently from Pirates, was at its most intense, Depp actually spoke bluntly in court about his attitude to returning to the iconic role.

During the protracted defamation case against Heard, Depp declared he would never return to the franchise, not even for “$300 million and one million alpacas.”

However, Bruckheimer has always been his biggest supporter. Asked at the Oscars about Depp’s potential return, he said: “We’ll see. I would love it. I would love to have him in the movie, that’s all I can say about it.”

Depp’s diary is still relatively clear as he slowly rebuilds his Hollywood career. The only official release he currently has lined up in the French film, La Favorite, also known as Mme du Barry.

Depp plays French king Louis XV in the historical biopic about the monarch’s famous mistress, opposite actress Maiwenn, who also directs. It’s also a chance for the American star to flex his French language skills, acquired during his marriage to Vanessa Paradis.