In a recent interview with The Sunday Times, Bruckheimer had a few words to share about the fantasy swashbuckler franchise while talking about his latest film, Top Gun: Maverick, ahead of its premiere on May 24. According to Bruckheimer, they are still “talking to Margot Robbie” and they are working on “two Pirates scripts - one with her, one without.” There’ve been a lot of rumors about a new Pirates of the Caribbean film after 2017’s Dead Men Tell No Tales. However, Johnny Depp’s controversial marriage and subsequent divorce from ex-wife, Amber Heard, appear to have made Disney think twice about returning to the multi-billion-dollar franchise. It also probably doesn’t help that Dead Men Tell No Tales didn’t do well among critics and audiences alike, pulling in “only” $794 million worldwide against an estimated $320 million budget. Judging by what Bruckheimer said, the long-gestating rumor and sequel are both still in development. Unfortunately, his words don’t inspire confidence at all. “Talking to” is ways away from already securing Margot Robbie, which isn’t so easy to do these days. After establishing herself as a Hollywood superstar with her standout performance as Harley Quinn in the DC Extended Universe, The Wolf of Wall Street actress has starred in I, Tonya, and Bombshell, which earned her Oscar nominations. In the meantime, Robbie is set to star in Greta Gerwig’s ambitious live-action Barbie adaptation, which is set to hit theaters on July 2023. If Disney wants to do a sequel and/or a spin-off with Robbie in tow, they will have to do it soon. The good news is that Depp’s ongoing legal battle with Heard is set to conclude on May 27 or soon after. Disney’s decision on the future of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise might depend on how the highly-publicized defamation trial turns out. Speaking of Depp and Heard, the fan petitions tell two drastically different tales. Where fans want Depp to come back for other Pirates of the Caribbean film, millions more want Heard to step down from Aquaman 2 and give her role as Queen Mera to someone else.
