Disney was all set to sail the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise to a new horizon without the pricey Johnny Depp in tow. They first brought in Deadpool writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick to pen a brand new script that would have rebooted the series.

Disney’s live-action production president Sean Bailey described the script as a “kick in the pants.” But now it looks like the film isn’t happening at all as Reese and Wernick are off of the project. More on the report below.

The Pirates of the Caribbean films have gradually dropped in quality with each new installment. But it really wouldn’t have its large following without the stumbling rum thirsty pirate Jack Sparrow. Played by Johnny Depp, the character has been the face of the franchise since the very beginning. However, Disney is looking to reboot the franchise, but without its franchise captain at the helm.

This could be disappointing to some, but the decision will help Disney save a significant amount of money. Casting Depp in these films require the studio to go deep into their pockets. More on the report, below.

Things are in the earliest stages so there’s not a whole lot of details, but it’s being reported that Disney is currently considering a reboot of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

The report says the studio has met with Deadpool and Zombieland writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, and the writing team is now in early talks to write a script for the potential reboot.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales”Ž
4K Ultra HD | Blu-ray | DVD | Digital
Directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg
Screenplay by Jeff Nathanson; story by Nathanson and Terry Rossio.
Starring Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem, Kaya Scodelario, Kevin R. McNally, Golshifteh Farahani, David Wenham, Stephen Graham, Geoffrey Rush
Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Release date: October 3, 2017

Hard to believe there was a time before Johnny Depp was Captain Jack Sparrow. Depp was a superstar for nearly two decades and then took the role playing the swaggering pirate in a blockbuster based on a Disney theme park attraction. That role earned Depp his first of three Oscar nominations and changed his career path. Here we are 14 years later, and Depp is still chugging along on the high seas in his fifth Pirates film, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

This time, Jack is searching for the trident of Poseidon, while an old enemy, Captain Salazar (Oscar winner Javier Bardem) hunts him down. While these films have had their ups and downs over the years, no one can deny Depp’s ability to entertain, and part 5 is maybe the best Pirates film since the original. It is out now on Blu-ray/DVD/Digital combo pack and loaded with special features.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is the fifth installment of the popular franchise. While the first three told a harrowing trilogy that brought back the swashbuckling fun of pirate films, the fourth was a minor sidestep in a different direction. But Dead Men Tell No Tales is a return to form for the franchise. Johnny Depp is back, reprising the role everybody is a fan of, and he is joined by some familiar faces like Geoffrey Rush who is back to play Captain Hector Barbossa. Newcomers Brenton Thwaites and Kaya Scodelario will join Depp as they attempt to find the legendary Poseidon’s Trident while trying out outrun the evil Salazar (Javier Bardem) a vengeful Spanish sea captain bent on getting revenge on Sparrow for cursing him in his decayed form.

We had a chance to attend the film’s press day where we got to join our fellow journalists and talk to Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, the directors of the film. During our interview, the two talked about what it was like to join a blockbuster franchise, keeping things grounded, a possible director’s cut, and more. Check it all out below.